I'd like to begin this blog with love and gratitude for my beloved grandmother who returned to her maker March 2020.
With my beloved grandmother Shamsun Nisa who returned to her maker during the Six Items Challenge 2020
Thank you for being the strong selfless woman who inspires my soul.
You taught me to live my life with dignity, honesty and compassion.
Miss you and love you always Nani! X
Sabeena at the beach supporting the Six Items Challenge 2020
with Labour Behind The Label, Dubai, UAE
Items 1&2 black embroidered cotton dress and black trousers
Black cotton traditional Pakistani dress purchased by my late mother
(item no 3)
My items of clothing
Clothes for the fashion fast
Hello and Assalaam Alaikum (peace and blessings) everyone,
So here I am for the eighth consecutive year participating in the Six Items Challenge with Labour Behind The Label.
This year the challenge commences 26th February - 9th April 2020.
I have decided to participate and support the Six Items Challenge for the eighth year because I started to campaign for garment and factory workers while caring for my mother who had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.
The six items challenge means I choose six items of clothing to wear for six weeks.
Don't worry!
This does not include under garments or exercise gear. You can wear an endless supply of these. :)
This year I hope to up-cycle some of the clothes my mother purchased for me before she passed away.
It is a long term ambition to design a fairtrade slow fashion collection in memory of my beautiful mother Mrs Meshar Mumtaz Bano and support fair trade certified cotton farmers, sustainable and ethical producers.
My beloved mother was a great advocate for women's empowerment and education.
I believe she would have been happy and proud of me to continue my campaigning for the millions of countless individuals producing clothes and accessories in factories and workshops around the world.
Hopefully by the end of the Six Week Challenge I would have educated a few people and raised a few pounds/dirhams.
Fast fashion is a term the fashion industry uses to entice consumers to purchase new trends, products and accessories every six to eight weeks. Some collections can be produced within a 12 day time frame.
Most of the products are cheap, poor quality and mass produced by workers in factories, work shops around the world.
Workers are paid low salaries, endure long hours and work in poor conditions to support their families.
Many are as young as 14 are the only bread winners and often forfeit the chance of a decent education and future
Many factories use hazardous chemicals to dye their fabrics and this water is discharged into rivers and the sea polluting eco systems and depleting fish stocks.
I hope to record vlogs and raise awareness about garment workers over the next coming weeks.
Best regards to all the Six Items Challenge participants.
Love and regards
Sabeena X
March 2020 I was admitted to hospital after a few weeks of excruciating pain in my left ovary.
After a CT scan I was told I had a cyst and required urgent surgery.
My cyst was removed 17th March 2020.
My consultant informed me that the cyst had ruptured and had welded itself to my colon and left ovary. He removed the white ruptured cyst cleaned me up, but could not see any signs of Endometriosis or PCOS due to the inflammation.
I was in two minds about attaching photographs of my ruptured cyst and decided not to.
The Clean Clothes Campaign has also launched a campaign for garment workers to be paid.
The poster below states the brands who have made no commitment to pay in full for orders completed and in production.
The Clean Clothes Campaign to urge brands to pay in full for completed orders and those in production
Millions of garment workers around the world are left without income because the global garment supply chains that employ them practically collapsed when the #COVID19 pandemic hit.
The first step for garment companies towards doing the right thing towards workers is pretty easy: just pay for what you ordered in the first place.
If garment companies don't #PayUp, how will workers get their wages?
Gap Topshop Urban Outfitters C&A Mothercare UK Tesco - uk Kohl's JCPenney VERO MODA Walmart Primark ASOS Asda
To learn more click the link here.
Dominique Muller - Labour Behind The Label
Dawn News - Workers Protest for payment of wages, dues in Karachi
The Nation - Coronavirus at the Bottom of the Supply Chain
Ethical Corp.Com - Millions of garment workers face destitution as fashion brands cancel orders
My right shoulder is still very painful and inflamed again and I have struggled to type this blog.
Despite my pain I managed to attend a webinar and record videos about PIE Community members expressing an interest to join.
I celebrated World Cancer Day 2024 by creating a poster in Urdu and English.
I participated in a School for Social Entrepreneur webinar with Chris Hines MBE.
Translation in Urdu
My sister sent me links to webinars about Great Mental Health Day which took place 26th January 2024.
I am grateful to all the guest speakers and trainers who took time out of their busy schedules to talk about Suicide Prevention, Bereavement and Write to Speak Your Poetry.
Translation in Urdu
میری بہن نے مجھے عظیم دماغی صحت کے دن کے بارے میں ویبینرز کے لنکس بھیجے جو 26 جنوری 2024 کو ہوا تھا۔
میں ان تمام مہمان مقررین اور ٹرینرز کا مشکور ہوں جنہوں نے اپنے مصروف شیڈول میں سے وقت نکال کر خودکشی کی روک تھام، سوگ اور اپنی شاعری لکھنے کے بارے میں بات کی۔
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year to all my fair trade friends and family around the world.
My right shoulder is still very painful and inflamed again and I have struggled to type this blog.
Despite my pain I managed to attend a webinar and record videos about PIE Community members expressing an interest to join.
I joined a couple of sessions about Mental Health and Suicide Training.
These sessions were organised by THRIVE LDN.
Translation in Urdu
نیا سال مبارک ہو!
دنیا بھر میں میرے تمام منصفانہ تجارتی دوستوں اور اہل خانہ کو نیا سال مبارک ہو۔
میرا دایاں کندھا اب بھی بہت تکلیف دہ ہے اور دوبارہ سوجن ہے اور میں نے اس بلاگ کو ٹائپ کرنے کے لیے جدوجہد کی ہے۔
اپنی تکلیف کے باوجود میں ایک ویبنار میں شرکت کرنے اور کمیونٹی کے ممبران کے بارے میں ویڈیوز ریکارڈ کرنے میں کامیاب ہو گی جو اس میں شامل ہونے میں دلچسپی کا اظہار کرتے ہیں۔
میں دماغی صحت اور خودکشی کی تربیت کے بارے میں کچھ سیشنز میں شامل ہوے۔
ان سیشنز کا اہتمام THRIVE LDN نے کیا تھا۔
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I'm Sabeena Ahmed owner and creator of The Little Fair Trade Shop. I've been an individual associate member of the World Fair Trade Organization since 2011 and together with my artisans I bring you a bespoke collection of ethically sourced fashion & gifts.
© 2024 The Little Fair Trade Shop. “We love to listen to our customers and for this reason we would be delighted to hear from you if you would like a bespoke fair trade product made especially for you.”
The Little Fair Trade Shop Ltd
Registered in England & Wales
Company Number 08189489
