Today I shopped at Ten Thousand Villages, a fair trade organization that sells handcrafted merchandise made by Asian, African, Latin American and Middle Eastern artisan groups. The mission of a fair trade organization is to help producers in developing countries to become economically self-sufficient, which in turn helps pay for food, healthcare, education and housing.

Shopping in this store was truly a cultural experience. I felt like I was in an international bazaar, as there are so many beautiful crafts not widely available in the United States. The store sold jewelry, home décor, tabletop items, accessories, toys, stationary, baskets, musical instruments, beauty products and really cool trinkets. Each product was labeled with its country origin and sometimes included cultural facts about the country and artist.

I decided to buy a sparkly Guatemalan bracelet that will look great with any outfit and a Haitian heart shaped paperweight for a gift. My purchases felt great because I am helping others improve the lives of their family and their community.

Fair trade products are sold nationwide. To find fair trade distributors in your community, I suggest that you do a Google search. Happy shopping!