Fair Trade - Empathy Action

Build a longer table (empathy at Christmas)

If you are more fortunate than others, build a longer table not a higher fence” (unknown)

Having developed a number of gifts that give twice, Innovations Manager, Sandy Glanfield writes how gifts can help us ‘build longer tables’ and greater empathy this Christmas.

Christmas dinner calls our nearest and dearest to the table. As a mother, and often host of the Christmas dinner, I can attest to the effort that goes into preparing this feast.

Weeks of planning, cleaning, preparing, shopping and cooking. I can also put my hand up to stressing over feeling that I must achieve ‘Christmas Perfection’ – the ‘right’ food, on offer at the ‘right’ time, presented on a beautiful Christmas table, orchestrating the happiness of my guests.

As I roll up my sleeves, ready to go another round with Christmas, I have been thinking about what it really is that I am offering through this meal. Being the host at my table I have the good fortune to give my loved ones company, nourishment and nurture. I create a place to reconnect, remember, share stories, tell jokes, laugh & build new memories.

Having worked with some of the world’s most marginalised with Gifts That Give Twice and seeing how they can lift people out of the snares of poverty through employment, purpose, skills improvement and education provision for their family members. My table all of a sudden could be something much more than our happiness or even a testimony of all my tireless efforts. What I would really, really love is to have a place for someone who is not afforded such luxuries.

This is where the idea for Empathy Action’s Christmas campaign began. We wanted to kindle the love and community that takes place at the Christmas table and use it to reach others who are struggling with poverty, and overcoming war. Inviting them, through their gifts, to our tables.

I love that those hosting Christmas dinner, like me, can bring this extra element to our tables through a gift for those that they love – a beautiful handicraft with the story to share of its Maker at each place setting. This can be that ‘extra seat’ at all our tables for someone less fortunate. Or even, if you can, invite someone who wouldn’t be afforded such a meal to come to your table!

#buildlongertables

Buy or find out more at the pop-up online shop here (opening on Dec 1st- limited stock available) or contact Sandy at change@empathyaction.org.

Global Citizenship, Empathy & Birthdays

Teaching Global Citizenship means allowing the students to deeply feel their responsibilities to those less fortunate than themselves. St Michael’s Prep school teacher, Mrs Chugg, arranged a ‘Go Global Week’ for students to

Develop knowledge of ‘other people & cultures’, and ‘concern & empathy for others not as fortunate as themselves’ and most of all a desire to make a difference.

Following a Christmas craft fair she met with Empathy Action and heard the range of stories form the producers of the products and the Action Pack idea for children’s birthday parties. She asked whether we could return and craft a half day programme for their Year 6s during their school’s ‘Go Global Week‘.

The other week the students explored how they felt about being in the richest 2% of the world. They listened to Sarah Playle, a local mum of 3, share about how she empathised with the refugee crisis in Calais and Europe. She described how her empathy acted as a catalyst to help others in need; particalrly teenagers who have become refugees, travelling vast distances with no families in the UK, and becoming a ‘community family’ for them. They were able to question her about what the Calais ‘Jungle’ refugee camp was like, ask why she wanted to help, and hear about her empathy for those less fortunate than her.

Students touched & felt products that were made from some of the marginalised communities, whilst listening to stories of the producers. At the end the pupils wrote their own “Empathy Action“, their personal plans for action, as a result of feeling for those less fortunate than themselves.

For Mrs Chugg, one of her hopes was to inspire the students to use their own birthday parties to be generous and help others by giving Action Packs as their party bags.

One student said to us “I will try and use Action Packs for my party“. He heard a little more about the producers of the the items, then as his ‘Empathy Action’ wrote:

I will have some of the party bag stuff for my party bags – PROMISE!

One parent fedback from the weekly newsletter to say:

So great to see this and keep our kids eyes open to what’s happening in the world, what they can do to make a difference and being grateful. Will came back inspired to raise money for the Syrian refugees

Empathy Action is returning in a few months to learn more of what these students will do as a result of the empathy programme. More to come from these Year 6s!

If you are interested in finding more about the empathy programmes for your school. Please get in touch here.

Luxury Brands Help Fight Poverty

This week the prestigious Lingfield Park Racecourse hosted an evening of networking arranged by a number of luxury brands. They included the world’s most expensive perfume maker, the people that manufacture James Bond’s famous car and an award winning wedding dress designer. Team members Ben and Sandy were there to see how the event’s organisers were using Empathy Action’s fairly traded soapstone hearts to buy 270 hot meals for people in the slums of Kenya.

The value of a heart

Amidst the glamour of dinner jackets, dresses and DB-9s were our hand made stone sculptures, positioned by every place setting. They had been bought as gifts for the guests but their effect on people in Kenya has an more significant impact. For each heart sold, three hot meals are bought for a child living in Kibera slum on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya. The aim is to combat malnutrition and support education in Africa.

One 10 year old from the feeding programme says:

“ I come to the centre on Saturday for feeding and on Monday for therapy. The best thing about Saturday is that I play… I would like to tell the [people] in the UK ‘thank you’, you are doing a great thing.”

Give your event a fairly traded flavour

Using gifts like these at a corporate gathering, wedding, party or any other kind of event, is a great way to say ‘thanks for coming’ to your guests. However, the greater value comes from the difference they make in the lives of those who most need our help.

If you are interested in sourcing beautiful, bespoke products that make fantastic presents and enrich the lives of marginalised communities, then please contact us today.