Do you realize how much power you have as a consumer? I’m serious. There’s that famous quote that I use all the time which is “You vote every single day by the way you spend your money.” and over the last couple of years, I’ve found that this is truer than ever… your beliefs drive how you purchase goods and services and companies that don’t adhere to your personal values or beliefs, more often than not, don’t get your money. And money talks. But… that doesn’t mean that you just buy a product SIMPLY because you believe in the values behind it… there’s a whole lot more to it and it’s something that my guest today has spent nearly 20 years working to study… – The Llenay 101
Llenay’s Ferretti’s success in fashion gave her a robust knowledge of international sourcing as well as access to iconic industry mentors. It also paved the way for her future in fair-trade. Fair-trade found Llenay after she met women basket weavers on a 2001 volunteer trip to Uganda with Ten Thousand Villages. Llenay’s skills in pattern, color, and textile helped the women reimagine their beautiful patterns for capturing market. After working as the Executive Director for Ten Thousand Villages, Llenay started her own organization in 2011, Bhavana World Project ( Bhavana). Bhavana brings technical skills and services to women’s organizations in the developing world. In 2016, Llenay joined the Ten Thousand Villages National Board and is currently the Acting CEO while the organization searches for a permanent CEO.
Our Purchases Are Powerful
When people have access to growth and fairly paid work, their lives can change significantly by giving them the tools to sustain themselves.
Consumers have the power to shape the market in the ways they chose to invest their dollars. This is as true in the fashion industry as it is in fair-trade, and purchasing decisions affect everyone in the global community. These days, consumers are much more aware of the impact they have on the global community with conscious and ethical participation in fair-trade purchases. Consumers who are not involved in fair-trade purchases sometimes ask: “Isn’t that job better than no job?” This idea does not apply to vulnerable communities working in unsafe conditions for unfair wages. Working for fair wages eliminates the vulnerability of being stuck in a cycle of exploitation. Control should be in the hands of both the maker and the buyer. Ten Thousand Villages gives interest advances and pays artists in full for products, creating a risk-free financial environment where artists don’t have to wait an unreasonable amount of time to be paid.
For more information meet Molly at Business with Purpose.