For over 20 years, in conjunction with her studio work, Peggy has been involved with Fair Trade. It began in 1989 when she volunteered for a local fair trade store and eventually joined their staff as Visual Merchandiser on a part-time basis. She was intrigued by the wide range of materials and techniques in the handcrafted items and developed a strong desire to meet an artisan group and learn more about their situation.

Several years later, after a fortuitous meeting with the director of Partners for Just Trade (PJT), Peggy was offered just such an opportunity. PJT was looking for someone to work with Munay Rumi, a group of jewelry artisans in Peru, on design development. It was a life changing experience. Peggy continues to help PJT and the artisans they partner with.

Peru:

• First trip – 2009
• Returned in 2010, 2011, and 2012 to work with Munay Rumi and other groups connected to PJT
• Half of the artisan groups are in Lima, the other half are in the central Andes
• Population of Lima is 9 million plus about 2 million in the surrounding shanty towns
• Visited Machu Picchu three times, completely magical every time
• Beautiful country, great food, wonderful people

 

 

Partners for Just Trade website

• Small non-profit fair-trade organization
• Does development work with 10 artisan groups in Peru, such as basic business practices, capacity building, pricing and design
• Has trade partners in Haiti, Cambodia, and Egypt
• Products are sold both wholesale and retail through their website and various events