This month I completed the WFTO ASIA'S - Introduction to Gender course and my Six Items Challenge 2017 with Labour Behind The Label.
Attended The Muslim Lifestyle Show said hello to the Macmillan Cancer Support volunteers and purchased fairtrade dates from the Zaytoun stand.
Travelled to Manchester, UK to pay respects to my parents. A year has passed since my beautiful mother passed away from metastatic breast cancer.
Enjoyed a vegetarian lunch and interviewed Dr Sara Parker who has designed two fairtrade puppet sets with fairtrade producers in Nepal.
Celebrated Fashion Revolution week and continued to mentor and support my World Pulse Change Maker Joanna in Poland.
Please click on the following link to read more about my Six Items Challenge 2017 with Labour Behind The Label.
https://www.thelittlefairtradeshop.com/blogs/news/six-items-challenge-2017
Week 6 currently editing
I have decided to participate and support the Six Items Challenge for the sixth year because I started to campaign for garment and factory workers while caring for my mother who had been diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.
The six items challenge means I choose six items of clothing to wear for six weeks. Don't worry! This does not include under garments or exercise gear. You can wear an endless supply of these. :)
For my challenge I've decided to wear one glamourous outfit as prescribed by my mother, a plainer everyday cotton Pakistani traditional costume and a hand embroidered cotton kameez (long blouse) and trousers designed and created by a young lady called Haseena.
I enrolled on the WFTO Asia's Building Capacity for Gender Equality Course designed by Tanya Lutvey.
''The course is an extension of WFTO’s sixth Principle of Fair Trade – ending discrimination and promoting gender equity and freedom of association.
The majority of producers in the global informal sector are women who must contend with an employment structure that often fails to recognize their rights.
Principle Six is thus designed to strengthen the institutional mechanisms and policies necessary for protecting their interests.
By providing both women and men with the tools and knowledge to seek improved standards for employment, and training employers to act with a sense of responsibility towards all of their employees, WFTO-Asia is committed to achieving equality for all workers within our network.''
Tanya Lutvey
OVERVIEW OF THE COURSE
MODULE 1 - TERMS AND CONCEPTS
MODULE 2 - EXPRESSIONS OF GENDER
MODULE 3 - WOMENS RIGHTS IN INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL LAWS
MODULE 4 - PRACTICAL TOOLS FOR IMPLEMENTING GENDER
For more information about the Introduction to Gender course please contact Tanya Lutvey Gender Working Group Co-ordinator at: gender@wfto-asia.com
World Fair Trade Organization Asia
Office +66 09 3234 5374
Certificate of Completion - Introduction to Gender
While in London I attended the Muslim Lifestyle Show with my younger sister Irem.
We stopped by to say hello to the Macmillan Cancer Support Volunteers and bought fair trade dates from the Zaytoun stand.
With my sister Irem
At the Macmillan Cancer Support stand with the wonderful volunteers
At the Zaytoun stand with volunteers
Meshar Mumtaz Bano 1952 - 2016
Its been a difficult 12 months grieving for my mother who returned to her maker 18th April 2016. Mum courageously struggled with metastatic breast cancer for 4 years and she and my father are buried at Southern Cemetery Manchester.
If you would like to talk about your grief please don't hesitate to drop me a line.
Love and best wishes to everyone who has lost a parent or loved one recently.
It was inspiring to finally meet Dr Sara Parker professor at John Moores 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.
The photograph below was posted to Instagram April 2017
Dr Sara Parker and ME!
Dr Parker writing in my guest book
Dr Parkers motivating comments
Video currently edited
I also celebrated Fashion Revolution Week by posting photographs of many fairtraders and supporters supporting the
''Who Made My Clothes Campaign''
Dr Sarah Parker - Fair Connections
Natascia Radice - TEDxDUBAI
Helen Barlow Scott - One Line Studio
Me!
Join Fashion Revolution or Labour Behind The Label and support their campaigns for better wages for garment workers, saving the environment and educating others to be ethical shoppers and consumers.
I've attached links to both organisations in Further Reading and Links at the bottom of the page.
I completed my 3 month support and mentoring with my World Pulse Change maker Joanna Smiejka from Poland.
Many thanks to Patty, Maya, Kartrina, Lisa, Jensine and all the World Pulse team for this opportunity.
If you would like to volunteer your time or expertise to change the life of a world change maker please do not hesitate to write to: Volunteer@worldpulse.com. I sincerely hope they open an office here in the Middle East one day soon.
Thank you so much for reading this months blog and watching all my videos. Your support means more than words.
I look forward to bringing you another update next month Insha'Allah (God Willing).
Take good care,
Love, peace and blessings
Sabeena
Further Reading and Links
WFTO Asia - Introduction to Gender Course
This month my right shoulder is still very painful and I have struggled to record this vlog and type this blog.
This month I supported fairtrade fortnight 2024 and celebrated Fairtrade's 30th Anniversary.
Here is my Easy Fairtrade Cocoa and Fairtrade Bananas Recipe which I baked for Fairtrade Fortnight 2024.
I have tried my best to translate this recipe in Urdu.
یہ ہے میری ایزی فیئرٹریڈ کوکو اور فیئر ٹریڈ کیلے کی ترکیب جسے میں نے فیئر ٹریڈ فورٹ نائٹ 2024 کے لیے پکایا تھا۔
میں نے اس ترکیب کا اردو میں ترجمہ کرنے کی پوری کوشش کی ہے۔
This month I supported fairtrade fortnight 2024 and celebrated Fairtrade's 30th Anniversary.
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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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