Trade Winds: Little things, everyday…make a difference!
Wednesday, August 29th, 2007
There’s so many ways to be economically and environmentally friendly. Some things we employ are:
-Kiva - Their tagline is “Loans that change lives”. They work through a large network of organizations to give micro-loans to entrepreneurs that may not have any other way to break the cycle of poverty. What to you or I would be a night out or a weekend away can help change the lives of an entire family.
-Fair Trade - Let more of the money you spend go back to those that produce it. The core of
My journey to Tiznit was a unique one. The first leg of the trip was a bus out of Marrakesh bound for Agadir, where I had to get on a second bus. I generally take the first bus departing to any given location. This time it was an older, funkier bus that seemed to be on its last voyage.
I was wandering the streets of Essaouira taking some snapshots when from behind me I heard from behind me, “Pssst! Pssssst!”. I turn to see Mohammad smiling at me waving me over. His shop is about 5′ x 8′ with hardly any room to turn around.There’s many photos of himself adorning the walls of him presenting his instruments to artists I don’t recognize. He excitedly shows me a picture of himself (a much younger ‘himself’) presenting a to none other than Carlos Santana. After showing me how to set up the Guenbri I coaxed him into playing for me.
A cooperative of artists operate a hand made paper art shop in Chiang Mai. To make the paper, they use the bark of the sa (mulberry) tree, pulverize it, pound it flat, and stretch it on frames to dry. Once dry, the paper is cut, sometimes died with natural colors, and used to make lamps, books, umbrellas, fans, and other paper products. Thailand is known as “The Land of Smiles” to the tourist industry and travelers alike. To the Thai people, it’s a home that embraces tradition, deep spirituality, and a culture of “jai yen” (to carry a “cool heart”), and to take the good and bad experiences of life all in stride. With Buddhism as the dominant religion, a King and Queen loved by the people, and a start toward robust modernization, Thailand offers a mix of traditional living with natural simpler lifestyles, to a faster paced tourist industry trying to catch a glimpse of this unique and intriguing culture. 
Mrs. Wantanee Meepolkit is an artist that runs a small locally owned shop in Ayutthaya, Thailand. Along with the help of family and friends, she weaves together sugar palm leaves to create hanging fish mobiles. Each fish is then hand painted and hung in homes around southeast Asia, and are known to bring good fortune. Ayutthaya served as Thailand’s capital between the years 1350 and 1767. The ruins that remain are now just the memories of a once thriving city brought to an end by an invasion of the neighboring country, Burma (Myanmar) in a battle for land ownership. Tourists and natives to Thailand visit this unique city to tour the ancient ruins and watch trained elephant performances. 
MaYing Song lives her days on Koh Yao Noi, an island in Southwest Thailand. There she spends her time with her large family of children, grandchildren, and grandchildrens’ children. Women in her family know how to weave native palm leaves together to create baskets, mats, and other handy products. The leaves are collected from the surrounding jungle, soaked in water for 4-5 hours, and then put in the sun to dry for about 4-5 hours. The result is a durable and flexible leaf that can be bent and shaped for making beautiful pieces of art.
In a small village in northern Thailand, just outside of Chiang Mai, lives a cooperative of artists and their families who make beautiful vases and other wood carvings from the mango tree. Each piece is unique and handmade by a skilled craftsman, who shapes the wood with hand held cutting blades as the wood spins on a turning wheel. The shaped piece is dried in a kiln before adding the designs or colors. The mango wood used is harvested from the older trees, which after 20 to 30 years, no longer bear marketable fruit. Using the older trees for the crafts, and replacing them with younger ones, provides responsible management for this valuable resource.
In a small shop in northern Thailand, pieces of fabric made by surrounding hill tribes are collected, hand stitched, and sewn together to create unique styles for pants, skirts, shirts, dresses, bags, and shoes. The Kareang hill tribe resides in the surrounding mountains where they spend time skillfully hand sewing colorful threads together to create beautiful patterns and traditional art. Pai is a small village located in northern Thailand that has a relaxed and fresh atmosphere. Located in the mountains, travelers from all around come to experience this little piece of paradise for themselves. The streets are lined with many small foreign influenced cafes and clothing shops, along with the street vendors marketing local foods. 
Kham is a silk weaver living in Vientiane, Laos. Along with a small number of weavers, they create beautifully weaved patterns on their hand and foot operated looms in her small shop. Silk, sometimes mixed with cotton, is used to make unique wall hangings, table runners, skirts, and scarves. Each piece is unmatched as every thread is weaved intricately together with skills that have been traditionally passed down through the generations. Vientiane is the capital city of Laos and is located in northwestern Laos along the Thailand border and Mekong River. Built with a large amount of French influence, the city is made of old colonial buildings with balconies and chipped paint. The Mekong River, considered the 10th largest river in the world, runs through Vientiane and provides an alternative transportation for locals and travelers alike.
Kat Kow Coconut is a small shop located on Koh Yao Noi, an island off the coast of the south-western side of Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. Run by about 20 artists in the community, Kat Kow Coconut uses natural materials traditionally, such as coconuts and palm tree resources, to make housewares, jewelry, and other commonly used Thai products that are used by the locals and international consumers alike. The artists of Kat Kow Coconut are continuing to rebuild their community since the tsunami hit in 2004, and every purchase helps to bring additional income into their community. 
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