Ten Thousand Villages News

“One day I took a decision that changed the course of my life: I built a shoeshine box for myself and went to look for a jeweler uncle. I only knew that his name was Eladio Portal.”

This was how Francisco Portal, artisan with Allpa in Lima, Peru, described the start of his career as a jeweler. Portal, who creates jewelry made from semi-precious leopardite stone for Ten Thousand Villages, was born in the province of Oyón, in the northern highland area. He lost his father when he was 9 years old, and since childhood he has had no contact with his father’s family. Portal knew only that they were silversmiths, and that a jeweler uncle lived in Lima and had a workshop in the Jirón Chancay Street.

Portal arrived in Lima when he was 16, with a relative who had brought him to teach him the trade of cabinetry. Portal struggled to acquire a taste for the trade, and eventually decided to make a change. Without warning anyone, he left the carpentry workshop to find his uncle and to learn jewelry making, which had always been his dream. He went to the Jirón Chancay Street and sat with his shoeshine box. He slept in the street, shined shoes and asked people whether they knew where he could find the workshop of Eladio Portal.

Two years passed until one customer, a young woman, heard his story. She was the daughter of his uncle Eladio, and gave Portal his address. When Portal arrived there, his uncle answered the door, recognized him and welcomed him. “I fought to find my uncle, and jewelry is now my whole life,” said Portal.

In his uncle’s workshop, Portal learned all the secrets of jewelry; he learned to make fine jewelry and settings with precious stones. He registered again in school, finishing his elementary studies and then five years of secondary school.

Eventually Portal established his own independent workshop. He learned embossing, and several other jewelry techniques, specializing in birds carved in onyx. He supplied jewelry to a variety of shops and several private clients, and started to hire workers as the production grew. Throughout the years four jewelers have been launched from his workshop.

Over the years, Portal has struggled to keep his business alive. When demand for jewelry fell, he began to sell his products in the handicraft market. “During that time, I only worked to subsist,” he recalled. Then two years ago, as a result of a meeting with the leaders of Allpa, he was asked again for catalogs of his products. “It is going to be different now,” he says with optimism. “We are going to grow now … to leave something to our heirs.”

Portal is married to Gloria Alejo, with whom he has a daughter, Victoria, who is 11 years old. He his trying to interest his daughter in the art of jewelry. Besides Victoria, he has two other children: Marcelino Francisco, now 35 years old, whom he raised alone from a very early age, and Carmen, 28. Marcelino has three children and is also a jeweler.

Of his life and his chosen career, Portal says, “For me life or jewelry has no secrets.”

Maria del Carmen De la Fuente
Artisan group Allpa

Ethiopia is most commonly known as a place of famine and drought. It’s equally important to understand Ethiopia as a place of rich religious history, art and natural beauty—all of which come together in a new necklace introduced in August by Ten Thousand Villages. Created by artisans of Entoto Outreach Project, the multi-strand Coffee Bean Necklace features rich brown roasted coffee bean beads accented with silver-plated nickel.

Entoto Outreach Project was started by the Beza Ministries Development Association in response to the influx of people living with HIV/AIDS into Entoto, a region on the edge of Ethiopia’s capital city, Addis Ababa. Believing that developing income generation was a much better form of assistance than simply handing out aid, Beza Ministries established an income generation project. They chose jewelry making because it is not strenuous, and requires little equipment or other infrastructure.

An area with great historical and political significance, Entoto is also well known as a site of healing. Many Ethiopians passionately believe in their religious heritage, which starts with King Menelik, an Ethiopian King who ruled in 950 BC. Menelik’s palace was at the summit of Entoto, now the site of the Entoto Mariam Church, one of the area’s oldest Ethiopian Orthodox churches. Today, natural springs at the church are believed to have healing powers and have attracted thousands of people who believe these holy waters will cure HIV/Aids. The influx of population has stressed the region where there is no means of earning an income.

By far the largest proportion of “tsebeltegnas” (people seeking holy water) are those living with HIV/AIDS. Some come willingly, motivated by genuine belief in the healing properties of the water. Others come as a last resort, having been ostracized from their communities and families because of the stigma associated with the disease.

The Entoto project has reached out to people seeking healing at the church, offering them a new opportunity to support themselves, and to live more healthfully. Many have few options for earning a living, and are vulnerable to all of the risks associated with a life of begging. In addition to income opportunities, the project provides adult literacy and math classes for artisans, as well as a parents’ program focusing on nutrition and discipline, and a children’s after-school tutoring program.

Another strand woven into this necklace is the origin of Ethiopian coffee itself, which grows wild in the lush highland forests of Ethiopia. Legend has it that a goat herder noticed his goats were frisky after eating some berries, so he tried them and felt great. A monk then discovered the energized goat herd, and took berries back to the monastery to help keep everyone alert during their night prayers. The monks enjoyed the berries, the Ethiopian coffee ceremony was born, and the tradition of drinking coffee spread worldwide.

When you hold one of these necklaces, you are holding beads of history—and new hope for the artisans who make them. If you are interested in more information about Ethiopian coffee, visit www.equalexchange.coop/ or watch the documentary on Ethiopian Coffee called “Black Gold.”


From reports of Entoto Outreach Project and Joyce Burkholder, Ten Thousand Villages Purchasing Director.

"Ten Thousand Villages Grows With Fair Trade: Ten Thousand Villages has mastered the art of nurturing affluent customers as well as impoverished craftsmen." Check out the Forbes magazine feature on Ten Thousand Villages in its Creative Giving column.

As anyone who has met him knows, Michael Muchilwa, founder of KICK Trading in Kisumu, Kenya, is someone full of ideas. Also a development consultant and the former monitoring coordinator with the World Fair Trade Organization, Muchilwa joined Samuel Macharia, founder of Chuma Wires in Kenya, for a two-week visit to Ten Thousand Villages in June, presenting at National Workshops, visiting several stores and participating in media interviews.

Muchilwa’s passion for business began in primary school, when he developed the idea of establishing “Muchi Enterprises,” an export business to sell clothing. Using his mother’s sewing machine, he taught himself how to make various items.

“I was intrigued with the idea of exporting to foreign markets,” he recalled. “And, I have always been interested in inventing things, and in organizing.” In addition to his foray into business development at the tender age of 11, Muchilwa tended the garden, helped out at home, and played rugby, hockey and soccer. In primary school, he was one of the top 10 students in all of Nairobi.

At Lenana High School in Nairobi, Muchilwa took on various organizing roles, including leadership in the United Nations, photography and motor clubs. In university, Muchilwa chaired the International Association of Students in Economics and Management, going on to found the Association of Young Entrepreneurs and to mentor many other students.

Muchilwa credits much of his enterprising spirit to his paternal grandmother and to his father. His grandmother, Phoebe, instilled a strong work ethic in her son, Sheldon Washington Muchilwa, Michael’s father. “She didn’t allow him to play soccer with the other boys. Instead, she gave him work early in his life, and paid him for it. That saved him from bad influences.”

Phoebe herself was an inspiring example. During an East African drought in the 1950s, the British Colonial government was looking for a Kenyan to take on the role of agricultural officer. Phoebe took a basket of produce from her own garden to the Colonial office—a three-hour walk—and presented herself for the post. With no qualification papers and lacking formal education, she nonetheless demonstrated her expertise; “And she got the job!” Muchilwa recounted.

Phoebe’s son took on both her work ethic and her courage, and urged his children to do the same: “You can work against all odds and do what you want to do. Nothing is impossible if you really believe in it, and if you work hard.” Muchilwa senior studied at the London School of Printing. He began his career in the private sector before becoming a civil servant in Uganda, rising to become the first black deputy director of the Uganda Printing Press, and later the first African director of the Kenya Printing Press. (This was in the 1960s, when East Africa was one political unit.) He eventually went into politics, serving as an Assistant Minister for 10 years, always maintaining his drive to succeed, and his positive approach to life. “He has always given a lot to others,” his son recalled.

Muchilwa is one of 18 children, born to three mothers; his father has had three wives. “We had enough boys to form a football team!” His mother, a nurse, was his father’s second wife. “She studied nursing in the United Kingdom, and over the years has worked for 28 different institutions,” he recounted. “She is good hearted, and always gets along well with others.” Muchilwa’s maternal grandfather always defended the interest of the community, and earned considerable respect for it. He has also been one of the people from whom Muchilwa has learned leadership.

This legacy of leadership over two generations has done much to form Michael Muchilwa into a source of vision in the fair trade world. “People always knew that I would fight for the helpless, and help to mentor those in need. … I believe in strategy rather than physical coercion. I have developed an ability to mobilize people to achieve common goals. I can look beyond the current situation to see the potential.”

Seeing potential has motivated Muchilwa in his work in fair trade. “I have seen wonderful products coming from people who had only been seen as cooks or watchmen. … This gives people life with meaning, rather than merely survival.” He described, for example, the dignity an artisan feels when he or she can participate in a community fund raiser, something they had been unable to do previously.

Still, we often have too limited of a view of artisans, said Muchilwa. “We forget that many of those we work with are not there by choice. We can’t choose where we are born, who our parents are, or our abilities. Yet all of us are given talents, and the opportunity to be great.

“We forget that artisans want the same things we do, to enjoy the same opportunities and benefits. If we remember this, we will treat them differently. We won’t want to see them stay the same; we will want to see change and grow. If we really practiced the commandment, ‘love your neighbor as yourself,’ it would change our perspective remarkably.”

What kind of legacy does Michael Muchilwa hope to leave? “If I could be remembered for the number of lives I touched, for the number of organizations and communities I helped, that would be a good legacy.” He also dreams of the legacy of Africa itself: “A good legacy would be if people who today live in slums can become CEOs of companies or even the President of Kenya. I believe that Kenya can become as great as any country on earth. ‘Kenya lays stake on Venus’ would be a great headline!”

Ultimately, Muchilwa does see himself on a journey with artisans. “We must celebrate artisans’ achievements, and appreciate that we are on a journey with them. And we won’t leave them until we reach the Promised Land.”

Deborah Fast
Creative Services Manager

Ten Thousand Villages in Virgina Highland, and our Backgammon Game handmade by Allpa in Peru, were both featured recently in the AirTran Airways GO Magazine.

90210 star AnnaLynne McCord shows off Ten Thousand Villages jewelry (Hammered Brass Necklace from Trinity Jewelry and Textured Bangles Set Gold from Noah’s Ark) during her birthday celebration this past weekend! The purchases came during a recent visit that came with a dose of southern hospitality provided by the Ten Thousand Villages in Cumming (Atlanta) store team!

Lynn Poole, founder and coordinator of fair trade artisan group Batsiranai Craft Project, has brought the mission of trade to Harare, Zimbabwe--and now the international community is recognizing her mission. In honor of her work with Batsiranai, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama awarded Poole the Wisdom in Action "Unsung Heroes of Compassion Award" on April 26 in San Francisco.

"Lynn's mission with Batsiranai struck a chord with the board, who choose a select few from among many nominees to receive the Unsung Heroes of Compassion each year," said Christine Wright, Event Coordinator for the Unsung Heroes of Compassion. "About 50 individuals from more than 13 different countries--all doing amazing, compassionate work--were chosen to be honored at this year's event."

"This event was a true example of the Ten Thousand Villages philosophy," said Alex Hartzler, Ten Thousand Villages board chair who attended the event. "Regardless of where someone lives, or what they are doing, people doing good things are a blessing to know and to be involved with." It was appropriate that Ten Thousand Villages was represented at the event, said Hartzler: "This shows what good work Lynn is doing in Zimbabwe with the mothers, and how Villages is allowing their good work to be a theme throughout our store network."

When asked about what drove her mission to establish Batsiranai as a successful job-creation program, Poole repeatedly refers to the human face of fair trade:
"I have become a witness to the positive effects fair trade has on the Harare community," said Poole. "I see the life come back into the eyes of the women and children who join the Batsiranai family."

"Batsiranai," which translates as "helping each other," supports mothers with severely disabled children by offering them an opportunity to create products utilizing their traditional skills, for a fair price.

"Often the families in the Batsiranai artisan group live under challenging circumstances and suffer from the stigma related to local beliefs regarding the origins of disabilities," said Poole. "The income generated from the Batsiranai project allows the mothers to work near their homes, supporting the needs of their families, and to be available to care for their disabled child."

In an effort to support the youngest victims of Zimbabwe's skyrocketing HIV infection rate, and to establish a means of continued economic support for Batsiranai's artisans, Poole developed and successfully marketed the Twin Doll Campaign.

"The concept is simple: Batsiranai artisans create two handmade dolls. One doll can be purchased at Ten Thousand Villages, and its "twin" is given to a child of a family affected by HIV in Zimbabwe," said Poole. "Many of the children who receive the dolls have never had a toy or doll in their lives."

Distribution of the "twin" for each doll purchased at Ten Thousand Villages occurs in one of a number of ways--some dolls are shared through organizations working with needy families affected by HIV in the greater Harare area.

Two weeks after the introduction of the Twin Doll in Ten Thousand Villages stores in 2008, the more than 800 dolls produced by Batsiranai artisans sold out of stock: "The Twin Doll has been an overwhelming success," said Melissa Hand, buyer for Ten Thousand Villages U.S. "It is a campaign that allows Ten Thousand Villages' customers to feel a direct and very personal connection to a child living under great hardship and suffering in a country under dictatorship.

"Batsiranai is an example of how a social entrepreneurial effort can become a model for women's empowerment," said Hand. "It is not based on sponsorship and donations, but on the hard work of 140 women."

Batsiranai artisans hope to expand their project to include more than 600 families who can help each other during enormously difficult times in Zimbabwe.