The Fair Trade Fairies are trading jewellery with their partners in Tanzania

Fair Trade fortnight is starting this week but one school is already ahead of the game when it comes to ethical trading.

A group of girls at Beacon Hill school in Blackpool have set up their own fair trade company and are trading Maasai jewellery with their twins in Tanzania.

The girls set up their company, Fair Trade Fairytale, last year with the help of their teacher Katie Lambie. Through a link with Achievers International, they got in touch with Noonkodin Secondary School in Eluwai, Tanzania.

They sell the jewellery in school, to friends and at fair trade fairs. The young entrepreneurs don’t make any money from their company but send all the profits back to Tanzania.

Students at Noonkodin Secondary School in Tanzania have set up the Shanga Company and work with local women’s co-operatives to make the jewellery. They are using the profit Beacon Hill School makes from their jewellery to buy books for their school and to build up their company.

Gemma Enolengila, who set up Noonkodin School, said that the partnership has been tricky sometimes as the internet connection in Eluwai can be unreliable but things are going well and they have already made a profit.

Exchanging Letters

Students from Shanga Company have sent letters to their partners.

They outlined the details of their company and their future plans. A student wrote about their plans for the money saying "we will use it for developing sport and games and also buying school books for study.”

The Deputy Chairperson of Shanga Company wrote about the importance of the partnership. “I know that reasonable people should stick together," she said, "so we will stick together as we are reasonable people at Noonkodin Secondary School and Beacon Hill School.”

Later this week, students and staff at Beacon Hill are holding a Fair Trade Trade Fair to share their work with other schools in the area - and hopefully, sell some of the Fair Trade Fairies Maasai jewellery!

How did they do that?

The schools got in touch through Achievers International, a project which teaches young people about international trade.  They help schools set up companies and trade with other schools around the world. 

They also worked with The Enterprise Education Trust which helps young entrepreneurs realise their potential through business and enterprise.

You can read more about the project on Beacon Hill School's website.

The DCSF Global Gateway can help you start a Fair Trade School Partnership.  And your school can get involved with projects for Fair Trade Fortnight through the Fair Trade Foundation’s website.

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