This month I completed the WFTO Asia - Introduction to Gender course and my Six Items Challenge 2017.
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.
Continued to mentor and support my World Pulse Change Maker Joanna in Poland.
This month I continued my Six Items Challenge 2017 with Labour Behind The Label.
Received an edited version of my interview with my Creative Director Mrs Helen Barlow Scott of The One Line Ethical Design Studio.
Attended two events at the Emirates Airline Literature Festival.
Met Jo Malone and presented her with fairtrade chocolate and a fairtrade breast cancer bag produced by ladies at Friends Handicraft Nepal.
Attended the BE BOLD FOR CHANGE event at the Dubai Lit Fest.
Conducted an impromptu photoshoot for Odylique and the Six items Challenge.
Continued mentoring my World Pulse Change Maker in Poland.
Enrolled on the WFTO Asia's Course - Introduction to Gender
Last year I had a couple of lovely online conversations with Abi Weeds Managing Director and Emma Hopewell of Odylique - Essential (Organics) Ltd.
I was particularly interested to support Odylique as it is a leading brand of cosmetics based in the United Kingdom that pride them selves on promoting their organic, vegan, fairtrade, cruelty free ethos and specialise in treating problematic sensitive, reactive and allergy prone skin.
For the sixth consecutive year I'm participating and supporting Labour Behind The Label and their innovative concept raising awareness about fast fashion by fasting for fashion.
The Six Items Challenge simply means that for six weeks I will be wearing six items of every day clothing, don't worry I am entitled to an endless supply of undergarments and exercise gear.
Why?
I care about the millions of countless individuals producing clothes and accessories in factories and workshops around the world who deserve a decent living wage and good working conditions.
If you would like to participate or support Labour Behind The Label's work click to read more.
This February I participated in the Terry Fox Run Dubai and heard from Judith Fox.
Attended Bride Dubai with Mrs Saima Tahqiq.
Conducted a Skype conversation with Daniel Schiff of Ashoka and Fabrics of Change.
Prepared for fairtrade fortnight 2017 and welcomed my web designer and friend Helen Barlow Scott of the One Line Ethical Design Studio to Dubai.
Conducted an impromptu photo shoot and video with Helen for fairtrade fortnight Dubai 2017.
Met Andrej Smok Director of Proft Eco + Fair and Wholesale Manager-Grocery at Traidcraft.
Continued mentoring and supporting my Change maker Joanna in Poland.
This January I met with the editor of the UAE's first online ethical website Ethical Desk.
Had dinner with the UAE's first female weightlifter.
Was chosen as a World Pulse Vision Mentor.
Found a lump in my left breast, had it removed and went for genetic testing.
Connected with Patty McNally World Pulse Mentor Coordinator Portland, Oregon and organised a Skype chat with my World Pulse Change Maker Joanna Smieja, Warsaw, Poland.
This December I received an email from Dr Sara Calvo, Professor at the Middlesex University London Business School to say I had won 3rd place in the International Social Innovation Challenge 2016 organised by the Middlesex University Business School. Many congratulations and best wishes to the other winners Ms Palma Milicevic and Ms Emma Butler for their social enterprise ideas.
Could I also praise everyone who entered the challenge, your ideas were inspirational and I am grateful to everyone for their support.
From the 7-10 December I participated at the Swiss Business Council Christmas Market, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
I also created my World Pulse profile to raise awareness for fairtrade and ethical producers and ethical consumerism in the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates.
This November I finally managed to meet with Heather Masoud and the team at Zaytoun.
I had an instrumental and life changing meeting to discuss fairtrade with the Muslim Council of Britain, attended a debate organised by the Brent Fairtrade Network about the future of fairtrade.
Produced bean to bar chocolate with Bruce Crowther MBE in Garstang and enjoyed a beautiful Emirati lunch with Mr Andy Biggs Chief Operating Officer at Traidcraft and his wife at the wonderful Sheikh Mohammad Centre for Cultural Understanding, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.
October will always be a special month for me. Its a bitter sweet feeling one of immense, love, pain and optimism.
This year I supported the Pink Caravan UAE team by volunteering at their breast screening tent during their first Pink Ladies Games.
I hope to ease the pain of losing Mum by working to prevent the disease through early detection.
I also decided to enrol on the Future Learn course ''Talk About Cancer.''
This August I fulfilled an ambition of a lifetime by visiting Islamic Spain.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the International Business Standards Organization for making me a chartered signatory.
Many thanks to the charming and patient Anna Sadeghpour for featuring The Little Fair Trade Shop in her Blog ''10 Easy Ways To Make a Difference in Dubai.'' It was lovely to meet her for tea.
While visiting friends and family in the United Kingdom I boarded a train to historical York and met with Jeremy Piercy author and MD of Shared Earth at his flagship store, York, the United Kingdom.
On my final day in London I managed to visit my local fairtrade store Fair Deal Organic and Fair Trade located in North London.
July 2017 Video Blog Newsletter Summary
FROM DUBAI TO BASKINTA
At the beginning of July and during the final days of Ramadan I boarded a flight to Beirut to attend my first ever fair trade towns conference in Baskinta, Lebanon.
Bruce Crowther MBE and the Fair Trade Lebanon team had asked me to present a fairtrade puppet show featuring Fairis the Frog, Chalaak the Monkey, Chu Maya and Ram Kali.
I also co presented a workshop with Movement Sociale titled ''Building Bridges with the Youth in Dubai the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.''
Fair Trade Lebanon
In this month recap I've talked about my Ramadan reflections and participating in my first ever International Fair Trade Towns Conference 2016, Baskinta, Lebanon.
I have been campaigning for fairtrade and ethical producers and ethical consumerism in my beloved home city of Manchester, London, Dubai and Abu Dhabi for the past 14 years.
One of greatest accomplishments is converting my mother to fairtrade products before she returned to her maker.
As the only fair trade campaigner, educator and modest retailer in the United Arab Emirates I have struggled to create a niche market for fair trade products.
Nevertheless, I have never lost heart and am more determined than ever to dispel the myth about fair trade being ''charity.''
It was a wonderful experience to meet Professor Mohammad Yunus at Salford University.
A privilege to discuss fair trade with Dr Jamil Sherif and Mrs Naseema Begum at the Muslim Council of Britain November 2016.
Thank you World Pulse for your compassion and love and for your support in raising my voice as a Muslim Female Social Entrepreneur.
I continue to educate people about fair trade artisans and groups by promoting the principles of a living wage, self-reliance, empowerment, transparency, environmental sustainability and dignity and self respect for all.
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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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