This July I traveled to the UK and visited the London Textile Fair with my dear friend Sunita.
I attended the UK leg of the Social Entrepreneurship Programme in
London with the Badiri Academy, NAMA and the School for Social Entrepreneurs London and Cornwall.
Many thanks to all the guest speakers and the NAMA and SSE's teams for their support, expertise and wisdom.
This June I collapsed at the end of Ramadan and required urgent IVs for iron, glucose and vitamins. Betathalasemia minor is pain!
During the final week of June I traveled to Thailand to visit Sister Louise of the Good Shepherd Sisters Bangkok and Mr Stephen Salmon of the Heritage Crafts and Cafe, (ThaiCraft) Bangkok, Thailand.
Many thanks to Sister Louise and Mrs Salmon for taking time out of their busy schedules to talk about their pioneering work.
This May I was accepted onto the Badiri Social Enterprise and the School for Social Entrepreneurs Scholarship Progam 2018, UAE.
I received a message from Mr Anuj Agarwal Founder of Feedspot to say The Little Fair Trade blog had been included in a comprehensive list of the top 25 Fair Trade Blogs on the internet.
Embraced the blessed holy month of Ramadan once again.
Miranda Paul fair trade advocate and children's author visits Sharjah and Dubai, UAE.
I've been meaning to write an article illustrating my fair trade journey for the
Sister-hood team for some time but then I had surgery for a rototar cuff and everything stopped.
After months of painful physiotherapy I finally edited my interview.
This April I was invited to judge 5 social enterprise businesses at the Middlesex University Dubai.
Many thanks to Shanthi Rajan, Sandra Stevenson, Suzannah Fernandes and
Dr Michael Kloep and Dr Cody Paris for their hospitality.
I had the good fortune to travel to Oxford during my visit to the United Kingdom.
I am very grateful to Clare and Miranda for taking time out of their busy schedules to conduct interviews with me.
I look forward to returning to beautiful Oxford soon.
This March I was privileged to meet Professor Muhammad Yunus again.
Celebrated the second week of Fair Trade Fortnight 2018, Dubai, UAE.
Continued trading at the Boutique Market at JBR and asked friends to support my Six Items Challenge 2018 and participated in Earth Hour Dubai 2018.
Despite my slow recovery for this dodgy right shoulder this year I celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight 2018 in Dubai with friends and had the privilege to meet Professor Muhammad Yunus again.
Many thanks to Leah, Glenda, Professor Muhammad Yunus and all my fabulous fairtrade friends and supporters in Dubai.
So what are you waiting for?
This February I met with Mr Hassan Bello of the Ajala Project.
Was a panelist at the SHETRADES MENA HUB LAUNCH.
Started my Six Items Challenge 2018 and celebrated Fairtrade Fortnight 2018.
So here I am for the sixth consecutive year participating in the Six Items Challenge with Labour Behind The Label.
This year the challenge commences 14th February - 29th March 2018.
Six Items Challenge 2018
Everyday Hero Six Items Challenge 2018 - The Lilfairtrade Shop
For those interested I have also attached links to the Six Items Challenges, 2017, 2016 and 2012 - 2015.
https://www.thelittlefairtradeshop.com/blogs/news/six-items-challenge-2017
Six Items Challenge 2016
Six Items Challenge 2012-2015
This January I started trading at The Boutique Market at JBR, Dubai, UAE.
I invited two wonderful Social Enterprise lecturers from the Middlesex University Dubai to lunch at the Olea Restaurant Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates.
Received a new consignment of fair trade and fairly traded organic toys.
This December I was privileged and honoured to participate at the Swiss Business Council for the second time.
Many thanks to Ms Charoline Engel, Claudine and her team for organising another successful market.
It was lovely to finally meet the team from the Women's World Project, Manchester in association with The Pankhurst Centre.
I had a lovely afternoon meeting strong willed, ambitious, beautiful women.
During my visit to my home city of Manchester I attended the North West Regional Fair Trade Conference.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable intensive day and I was exhausted by its end and had to rest my poor shoulder.
Many thanks to Chrisi, Adam and the Fairtrade Foundation team for organising this event.
This year the World Fair Trade Organization asked for my support with their Anti Poverty Week 2017 campaign #LiveFair & #BeatPoverty.
During the week I attended a Coffee Morning organised by my friend Maryam and kindly asked ladies to support Anti-Poverty Week 2017, Dubai, UAE.
I talked about Fair Trade, Fair Trade Chocolate and Anti Poverty Week.
There were approximately 30 ladies present and I made a few fair trade friends.
I also asked my dear friend Joanna who was visiting me from Poland to model for me.
Joanna was a great sport and I am grateful for her support during Anti Poverty Week.
To read more please click here and support social and trade justice!
Thank you! Sabeena
I was invited by Manor Primary School and children of Year 5 to talk about fair trade.
We started the lesson by watching the Max Havelaar Chocolate Song.
The world in my shopping basket - children learnt where fair trade products came from.
Year 5 tasted fairtrade Divine Milk Chocolate and Green & Blacks Maya Gold.
The children watched a fairtrade video about Tayna a young girl who visited cocoa farmers and their communities in the Dominican Republic.
Children learnt about the fair price, social premium, social standards and the environment.
The children showed their support for fair trade and we ended the session with lots of happy memories.
I hope they will be the future fair trade stars and campaigners in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.
This September I am still tolerating the torn ligament in my right shoulder, however, I managed to Skype with Paksy Plackis-Cheng founder Impact Mania based in Calfornia, USA.
My tribute to my late mother was tweeted by the Women's Words Manchester project.
I received a wonderful birthday present my new business cards from my Creative Director Helen Barlow Scott.
Attended the Salam Sisters Network Dubai (SSND) monthly meeting.
Taught fair trade to Year 5 at the Manor Park Primary School, Dubai.
Attended the ZB Foundation lunch with founders Dani Wilson and Saima Khan and presented a fair trade talk to over a 100+ ladies.
Participated in Live Create Meditate event with Mariam Yasin and Amruta Kshemkalyani.
This August I was diagnosed with a torn ligament in my right shoulder which will require surgery and physiotherapy.
I finally managed to Skype with Dr Sara Calvo Martinez founder of Living in Minca and professor at the Middlesex University Business School, London.
My fair trade story was featured in the Story Exchange Women Mean Business website.
I organised meetings with Mr Daniel Ludvig and Mr Sayed of Sheraa, Sharjah.
Had coffee with Sandra Stephenson senior lecturer at the Middlesex University Dubai, and met founder and chairperson of ZBFoundation Dani Wilson and Saima Khan.
During October 2015 I had the privilege to interview Mr Stephen Salmon of Thaicraft, Bangkok, Thailand.
I had previously visited Thaicraft during 2009 and 2011 and was interested to learn about the history of the fair trade movement in Thailand.
Many thanks to Mr Salmon and his team for their time.
It was inspiring to finally meet Dr Sara Parker professor who is a lecturer and reader at John Moores IUniversity Liverpool.
Dr Parker has spent the past 30 years researching Nepal in particular Sikles a town in Nepal and supporting fairtrade producers WEAVE in Pokhara.
She has written and designed a fairtrade puppet set for children called Fairis the Frog and established her own company Fair Connections and Fair Connections Foundation supporting local schools in Nepal.
For every fair trade puppet set purchased one is donated to a school in Nepal educating children in the most rural areas and regions.
I was excited to finally meet with fair trade ethical, organic pioneer and research scientist Dr Mike Thair and Marketing Head Ms Le Thant Thuy at their head office Penang, Malaysia.
Dr Thair and Ms Le arranged for me to visit the Asia Community Centre and Stepping Stone Penang.
Many thanks to Hasra Othman (Manager), Shogu artist in residence from Osaka Japan and the other volunteers who took valuable time out of their schedules to show us the centre and its facilities.
I had the good fortune to visit Bruce Crowther, MBE during November 2016 and spent a morning learning how to produce fair trade chocolate bean to bar.
Fredrick is a member of the Kuapa Kukoo Farmers Cooperative Ghana, and it was wonderful feeling knowing he had grown the cocoa for our chocolate.
We began our chocolate making at the crack of dawn and I was nervous not to make any mistakes and spoil Bruce's batch of chocolate.
I have posted all the photographs chronologically as we produced the chocolate.
I spent most of August 2016 with my siblings in London and mustered the energy to board a train to historical York to visit Shared Earth and talk with founder and owner Jeremy Piercy.
Many thanks to David Piercy for his time and support during my visit.
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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.
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