Public Affairs Journalism Major, Community Engagement & Social Media Intern at Global Gifts

It has been a wonderful summer at Global Gifts, and I’m ready to talk about it!

The store
On any given day Global Gifts is full of musical melodies from around the world. It might be an upbeat African drum or smooth and calming Bolivian pan flutes; no matter what, it is wonderful. If I have a spare minute, I’ll wander around looking in awe at the gorgeous products brimming over shelves and lining the walls. You might find some fun samples hanging around too (my favorite being the rosemary mint shea butter). Something I hear every day in the store are customer’s questions about fair trade; they never get old, and the volunteers never get tired of answering them.

The Volunteers
In one word, the volunteers can be described as welcoming. But to be honest, there aren’t enough words to aptly describe them. Each individual is deeply passionate about fair trade because they are passionate about helping people, freeing people, and loving people, which is exactly what fair trade aims to do.

However, my time with the volunteers at Global Gifts was not only inspiring, it was fun! We had many an impromptu photo shoots, most involving crazy schemes to get the best shot, frolicking in Goodale Park or just goofing around. Laughs were never in short supply either, especially when laughing at my corny tweets.

Back to Business- A fair trade story
While working at Global Gifts, I am able to learn about many fair trade organizations and hear many powerful stories of triumph; one in particular is Imani Workshops. Imani Workshops is an organization based in western Kenya focused on producing high-quality goods by HIV-positive artisans. HIV positive individuals often have difficulties securing jobs or loans because of the stigma associated with their disease, which leads to many into poverty. However, Imani Workshops provides jobs, and therefore hope, for people like artisan, Jennifer.

The gift I’ve been given
As a budding journalist, I want to become a writer who tells the stories of those who have been forced into silence, and who have no voice of their own. Fair trade has similar goals. It provides a way out of poverty and inequality for marginalized people around the world. It not only supplies jobs that are safe and well-paying, but it promotes self-sufficiency. Similarly, as a writer I hope to not write about people as victims, but as champions.

I am not sure what job I will be offered as I look towards graduation, and I know I cannot be picky, but I sincerely hope to continue in fair trade in some form. Though I am excited to announce that I will continue with Global Gifts in the fall, my summer at Global Gifts has impacted me permanently, and for that I am very grateful. 

Meet all of the 2016 summer intern bloggers and read about their experiences.