Uk Samphors, Cambodia: Photograph by Lynn Johnson courtesy of Ten Thousand Villages

Ten Thousand Villages creates opportunities for artisans in developing countries who would otherwise be unemployed or underemployed to earn income by bringing their products and stories to our markets through long-term, fair trading relationships. The income artisans earn helps pay for food, education, health care, and housing.

Ten Thousand Villages started with a very simple idea.  In 1946, Edna Ruth Byler, a volunteer for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC), visited a sewing class that was run by two MCC workers in Puerto Rico. 

Byler discovered extraordinary embroidered pieces, hand-sewn by local Puerto Rican women.  However, many of these talented craftspeople lived in extreme poverty and had no local market to sell their products.  She realized that if the women had more places to sell their wares, their lives would improve.

Byler brought some pieces home to Akron, Pennsylvania to sell to friends and neighbors and the concept of Ten Thousand Villages was born.  After selling her initial purchases, Byler continued to send orders back to the women’s sewing group in Puerto Rico.  By 1952, her project was earning more than $400 per month.  In 1952, the business became a nonprofit program of MCC called the Overseas Needlepoint and Crafts Project.  In 1968 the program was re-named SELFHELP Crafts. The first SELFHELP Crafts retail store opened in 1972. By 1986, there were more than 60 SELFHELP Crafts stores across the United States and the organization became a financially independent, non-profit organization owned by Mennonite Central Committee.

In 1996 SELFHELP Crafts changed its name to Ten Thousand Villages.   The inspiration for the name Ten Thousand Villages comes from a Mahatma Gandhi quote: “…India is not to be found in its few cities but in the 700,000 villages…we have hardly ever paused to inquire if these folks get sufficient to eat and clothe themselves with.”

Artisan Stories - OTICART International Limited

In 1995 Claytone Ombasyi, a Christian businessman in Nairobi, Kenya, started OTIC, a privately held export and marketing company. Ombasyi, with professional experience in exporting and marketing, wanted to help local artisans connect with export markets. He operates his business with the utmost integrity and expects the same of others, encouraging artisans to consider their products a reflection of themselves and to use the products to share their vision with customers. OTIC provides export, packaging and quality control support for a number of small workshops in and around Nairobi. Depending on their circumstances, these small groups provide a variety of advantages to their artisans. Some offer training in wood carving, while others provide short--term, no interest loans.
Ten Thousand Villages has purchased products from OTIC since 2001.

Ten Thousand Villages now operates as a partner of Mennonite Central Committee.

Fatima Khadiru Kamis, Tanzania: Photograph courtesy of Ten Thousand VillagesFair trade provides under- and unemployed artisans with an opportunity to earn vital income and improve their quality of life by establishing a sustainable market for their handcrafted products. One of the world's oldest and largest fair trade organizations,  Ten Thousand Villages is a founding member of The World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), formerly the International Fair Trade Association,  a global network of more than 300 fair trade organizations in 70 countries.

The values that distinguish Ten Thousand Villages and the fair trade movement include cash advances and prompt payments, fair prices, long-term relationships, collaboration and sustainability.  Artisans are able to receive cash advances from Ten Thousand Villages when an order is placed, and payment in full when an order is shipped. Their wages are not affected by product markdowns or discounts.  Ten Thousand Villages purchases artisans’ work at a mutually agreed upon fair price that covers the cost of materials and labor, values craftsmanship and considers the conditions of living in a developing country. 

Zubaida Nizam, India: Photograph courtesy of Ten Thousand Villages

Fair trade is not just about prices; it is founded on a commitment to long-term relationships and consistent orders. 

Ten Thousand Villages’ commitment to long-term purchases ensures artisans a sustainable source of income and provides the ability to plan for the future, to invest in technology and skills training and reach their full business potential.

To ensure the appeal of new products in U.S. markets, Ten Thousand Villages’ designers and buyers work with artisans to incorporate trend information into traditional crafts. 

Buyers make regular visits to artisan partners, collaborating to develop successful products and growing artisan partners’ businesses and design skills.

Artisan Spotlight - Tika Rumi, Peru

Intercrafts Peru is a nonprofit civic association promoting export sales of Peruvian handicrafts. A democratic cooperative of artisan groups, Intercrafts Peru allows artisans full participation in organizational decisions. The group's aim is to keep overhead costs low, to share responsibility so more income remains in the hands of the artisans, and to explore new markets. The association's headquarters are located in Lima with other offices situated in the marginal districts and communities of Lima, Ayacucho, Huancayo, Cuzco, Puno, Arequipa and Piura. Benefits to members include health care, loan funds and advances, school supplies and books, training programs and technical assistance.
Intercrafts Peru began as CIAP (Central Interregional De Artesanos Del Peru), formed in 1992 by 20 handicraft artisan groups from various regions of Peru, who joined together to export their creations. Since 2002, the export arm of CIAP has been known as Intercrafts Peru. At its 10th anniversary celebrations in 2002, Intercrafts received official recognition for its beneficial role in the lives of handicraft producers. Intercrafts Peru is member of the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT).
Ten Thousand Villages purchases jewelry, wool wall hangings, carved gourd boxes, musical instruments and retablo nativities from Intercrafts Peru. Ten Thousand Villages has purchased products from Intercrafts Peru since 1993

Felix and Everta Carballo, Nicaragua: Photograph courtesy of Ten Thousand Villages

From artisan workshops to corporate headquarters, Ten Thousand Villages encourages sustainable practices and the use of recycled, natural, local materials in order to minimize environmental impact.

Ten Thousand Villages has been recognized as an industry leader in ethics, governance and responsibility.

“At Ten Thousand Villages, business is driven by our mission.  We succeed by acting responsibly and authentically, and by demonstrating dignity and respect for people around the world,” said former CEO Craig Schloneger in March 2012. 

The impact of Ten Thousand Villages is demonstrated by the stories of its artisan partners. 

Shuktara Handmade Paper: Picture album: Batik paper with paisley motif on Jute paper.: Photograph by Prokritee http://www.prokritee.com/products.htmlShuktara Handmade Paper began in 1988 in Feni, Bangladesh, a small project making a paper product from the pulp of jute fiber.  One of the primary objectives for Shuktara—initiated through the Job Creation program of Mennonite Central Committee Bangladesh—was to provide employment for people who were considered to be unemployable. At the top of the recruitment list were single women who had families to support; six of the first nine to join the program were previously unemployed single mothers. 

One of these women, Morium, was raising five children (three boys and two girls) on her own. Morium’s own family wasn’t able to take her in; she scraped together a living by begging. With no education and no job skills she had found it impossible to find a regular paying job.  At Shuktara she began learning to make handmade paper using jute fibers.

By 1993, Shuktara’s workforce had grown to 172 employees, 150 of them women. Morium had become the chairperson of the six-woman Management Committee. In four years, she had purchased a small plot of land and constructed her own small house. She also had room to raise a few chickens and a cow for fresh milk. Her five children were attending school. 

Shuktara Handmade Paper: Picture album: Batik paper with leaf motif on jute paper.: Photograph by Prokritee http://www.prokritee.com/products.htmlSince 1993, Morium has participated in literacy, quality control and women’s rights training. She hopes to send one or two of her children to college. Shuktara has grown to more than 250 employees, women like Morium and Aradhon Begum, who never had a paying job before. Aradhon Begum has worked at the paper making project for 18 years. 

“Shuktara is my family. I got everything from Shuktara when my husband left me with my three children.  As a single mother I have raised my children. My two daughters now have gotten married and my son has grown up and he has his own rickshaw and can earn money for his family, she says.  “I love my creative job and feel joy when I see the light coming out from my lamp.”

“Shuktara” means “morning star” in Bengali. The women who work at Shuktara say they chose this name because the morning star brings hope of a new day with new promise, just like their business, Shuktara Handmade Paper, gives them hope for a job and an opportunity to adequately provide for their families.

Artisan Stories - Bolivia Bubble Glassware

Glass tumblers make a tasteful handcrafted addition to your table. From Cochabamba in the Bolivian highlands. Mouth-blown using 100% recycled glass. This technique creates bubbling and variation, making each product unique.

Implementation Status:

During the fiscal year ending March 31, 2011, Ten Thousand Villages posted sales of $24,976,821, an increase of more than six percent over the previous year.  This total includes $1.4 million in e-commerce sales at www.tenthousandvillages.com, 46 percent growth over two years.

As a nonprofit retailer, Ten Thousand Villages uses its net revenues to increase purchases from artisans or to develop markets, expanding opportunities for further sales of artisans’ products. In fiscal year 2011, Ten Thousand Villages invested $6.5 million in craft purchases from 123 artisan groups in 35 countries.

During calendar year 2011, Ten Thousand Villages opened five new stores.  There are now 78 Ten Thousand Villages locations in 30 states, where every purchase helps artisans in developing countries earn income that will feed and house their families and educate their children. 

On April 2, 2012, Doug Dirks began as CEO Ten Thousand Villages.  One of the fair trade movement’s most familiar faces, Dirks has been employed by Ten Thousand Villages for nearly two decades. He brings more than 25 years of experience in international relations, fair trade and senior leadership to the CEO position.  Dirks replaced outgoing CEO Craig Schloneger who announced his resignation in December 2011, after six years leading the organization.

“Ten Thousand Villages is unique, relevant and growing with a future that holds much promise and opportunity,” said Schloneger.

This article was prepared for the Horizon International Solutions Site by Ten Thousand Villages, 10 May 2012, and is an update of an earlier article on Ten Thousand Villages appearing on the Solutions Site at Ten Thousand Villages Provides Fair Income to Artisans.