Fair Trade Friday Earring of the Month September 2016 Subscription Box Review

Fair Trade Friday is a monthly subscription that is committed to empowering women around the world. By providing women with jobs and an outlet through which they can distribute their goods, Fair Trade Friday helps women overcome poverty.

Fair Trade Friday operates three different subscriptions: the original box that includes 3-4 surprise items each month; the bracelet of the month box that includes 1 bracelet each month and the earring of the month box that includes one pair of earrings each month. All items in each of the different boxes are fairly traded. This review covers the earring of the month box for September.

I love the motto of this subscription:

Change the world.

Look good doing it.

This box is a ministry of Mercy House Global, an organization dedicated to engaging, empowering and discipling women around the world. Mercy House Global partners with 42 faith-based organizations in 24 countries world-wide to bring their vision to life. This month, they partnered with Caring for Korah and Ruhamah Designs in developing and distributing the items found in their earring of the month club.

Ruhamah Designs developed as an outgrowth of craft time at Freedom Firm’s aftercare program for survivors of trafficking in 2006. In 2008, the crafters learned how to make jewelry, and in 2010, Ruhamah Designs was born. Today, these craftswomen receive a salary for their efforts, and many have achieved financial independence through their work.

This month’s earrings were produced by Munmun, a woman in India, and money earned from my box’s sale will go directly to supporting her.

I love these earrings ($7)! The aari embroidery is gorgeous! I also love the contrast in the colors. These special earrings will add a lot of pizzazz to my typical jeans and t-shirt outfits!

In addition to the earrings themselves, I received a gorgeous, soft cotton pouch for storing them.

The cotton used to produce this pouch was processed by women in Ethiopia. After separating the cotton from the seed by hand, women use inzirts to render the cotton into yarn. Once the cotton thread is wound around the top part of an inzirt, called a kesem, the kesem is forwarded to weavers who use ground looms to produce fabric. This fabric is then cut and sewn together to produce lovely bags like the one showcased in this month’s box. I love this fabric! It’s soft and very beautiful.

I love that Fair Trade Friday includes a gift card with each purchase. That way, had I wanted to regift these earrings, I could easily, all while promoting Fair Trade Friday and its mission. Although I intend to keep and wear these earrings, I’m sure there will be some months where I’ll want to save them for Christmas gifts, and this is perfect for that!

This month, Fair Trade Friday sent me a wholesale catalogue that features a number of items along with their wholesale and retail prices. For a minimum wholesale order of $200, you can partner with them by hosting a house party and selling their products to your friends.

I absolutely loved my third installment of Fair Trade Friday’s Earring of the Month Club! I thought the earrings and the pouch were both gorgeous, and I loved reading about the artisans who produced them and the organizations that support them. I can’t wait to receive my next installment!

Visit Fair Trade Friday to subscribe or find out more!