Capiz

Capiz is the thin, naturally off-white colored shell of the windowpane clamshell. It gets its name from the fact that before glass windows were available in the Philippines, capiz shells were often used to make windows. Artisans are careful to make sure that capiz harvesting is done sustainably, so that the resource will be available for generations to come.

Using capiz shells collected by fishermen off the island of Panay in the Philippines, Berna Rivera creates beautiful holiday ornaments and decorations at the Saffy Handicrafts workshop in Manila.

As a single woman whose parents died when she was 21, Berna's work with Saffy gives her much more than she ever imagined: a livelihood with dignity, continuous improvement of her craft and a second family. "It's exciting to know that people are satisfied with a product I make. This prompts me to value my work even more," says Berna.

Capiz shell is used in a variety of different products, including jewelry, ornaments, and home décor.

Batik clothing from Ghana

Global Mamas is a non-profit, fair trade organization providing opportunities for small, women-owned businesses in Ghana. Before working for Global Mamas, Comfort Koomson struggled to maintain her small batiking business in an area where there are many other batikers. As a mother of young children, Koomson found it difficult to keep merchandise in her store and pay all of her bills. Worse, thieves then broke into her shop and stole most of her batiking equipment. As a result, she had to close her store and remove one of her children from school because she could not pay the fees.

Since she started working for Global Mamas, Koomson has been able to replace her equipment, send her child back to school, and nearly double her income. She has also been able to expand her business.

Batiking involves designing and cutting a foam stamp, and then using it to stamp patterns on fabric with hot wax. After the wax dries, the fabric is dyed. The fabric is then boiled to remove the wax. Complex patterns involve multiple stampings and dyeings.