A very special Christmas fair takes place this Saturday at Gilmore Park United Church from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Unlike other seasonal fairs — although worthy of mention in their own right — the Kairos Fair Trade Fair displays and sells wares from artisan craftspeople from impoverished nations from around the world.
Kairos, an organization made up of 10 churches and religious organizations who work together for ecological justice and human rights, is hosting the fair yet again in a bid to help sell and promote the products made by such people.
One of the many vendors at this Saturday’s event will be Ten Thousand Villages, North America’s oldest and largest Fair Trade organization.
“I think it’s important to show that a large, Fair Trade player recognizes its roots and Kairos was one of the first to bring Fair Trade organizations together like this,” said Ten Thousand Villages’ Granville Island store manager Roxanne Cave of the reason they continue to show up at the Kairos annual fair.
“It’s really all about the selling; that’s what we’re doing, helping people to work and to receive proper wages and conditions.”
As ever, Ten Thousand Villages will have its requisite array of Christmas ornaments and nativity scenes on sale on Saturday.
“We are well known for our phenomenal ornaments and nativity scenes at this time of year; they’re from every corner of the world: Uganda, Vietnam, The Philippines, Burkina Faso, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Indonesia,” added Cave.
“We buy directly from the artisan groups and pay a fair price for the products so families can afford to put their children into education and the children don’t need to work.”
The Richmond Gogos, The Sharing Farm, Mayan Skills, Marigold Collective, World Vision and Zambala Gifts are some of the other groups selling items.
Jose Juan and Manuela Xuncax will be playing the marimbas to add to a festive atmosphere and ethnic food, as well as tea and coffee, will be on sale.
The fair is being held at Gilmore United Church at 8060, No. 1 Road. Admission is free, but you can make a donation to help Kairos with its work.
For more information, go online to KairosCanada.org.
