Novica: Fair Trade

Hooray my friends, have I got an amazing giveaway for you! (No, the vase pictured is NOT the prize). The wonderful folks at Novica.com are providing a generous $50 gift certificate for the lucky winner. 

Fair Trade products have become my favorite source for gifts. I like the fact that the artist has been paid a fair price and will not be taken advantage of by greedy middlemen.

If I can find items produced by microentrepreneurs in impoverished areas, so much the better. Rwandan coffee is one such product that I buy on a regular basis from “Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee Company”. I continue to purchase it because it's the best coffee I've ever tasted. Helping widows and orphans of the Rwandan genocide is a phenomenal side benefit. (More in a future post).

You’re probably very familiar with the Chinese proverb by Lao Tzu, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Helping to support micro-business owners in poverty stricken areas is an easy way to follow that ancient advice, enabling people to support themselves and their families while helping them to maintain their dignity. 

Although the entrepreneurs featured on Novica.com are established artists and not usually living in extreme poverty, you are still making a positive economic impact and helping to preserve traditional crafts and culture across the globe.

Novica ships worldwide so this is open to you no matter where you live. The website is easy to navigate and payment options include PayPal (yay!).

You will love the amazing selection of handcrafted treasures and I guarantee you’ll be as hard pressed to make a choice as I was. After hours of debating, my husband and I choose the beautiful, handblown glass vase pictured above. I’ll post a review once we receive it.


**Contest is over - winner to be announced Sunday, August 8th.

Giveaway rules:

• 1 entry: Visit Novica.com, come back and leave a comment noting a favorite item. (Please make sure I can locate your email to notify you if you win).

• 1 additional entry: Leave a comment here about how the Novica artisan loan program differs from that of Kiva.org.

• 1 additional entry: Join Novica’s Facebook group and post the link on your wall. (Provide a link to your page, either here or via email. Sadly, if I can’t find it, I won’t be able to award the point).

• 2 additional entries: Post about Novica on your FB wall and attach a link to their  website. (Provide a link to your page, either here or via email. Sadly, if I can’t find it, I won’t be able to award the point).
• 1 additional entry if you are a follower or become one.
• 3 additional entries: Blog about this giveaway. (Provide a link to your page, either here or via email. Sadly, if I can’t find it, I won’t be able to award the point).

Entries accepted until Saturday, August 7th at midnight EST. Winner will be announced the next day.

Quick Links:

Green Gifts

Unique Gifts

Corporate Gifts

Microfinance

They also feature a unique “Corporate Gifts” program for any business looking for a Fair Trade corporate gift.

Good Luck!

=D

*Note: In exchange for my posting an unbiased review on this blog of my shopping experience at Novica.com, I was given (2) $50 electronic gift certificates (one for myself and one to giveaway).