The Challenge continues.

I have decided to continue this challenge throughout the year and didn't find it difficult at all.  I will continue to discuss fair trade with all of my students in the hopes that next year we can somehow get our student body more involved in this initiative.
I have to say that I am very proud of my students with regards to their efforts during the OMC.   They did a presentation to the whole school about fair trade and then for the final day, they did a "no voice" day where they couldn't speak for one whole day. By doing this, they were representing all those people in the world who don't have a voice and who have little choice in what they do for their lives and how they make their money.  Some students said that this was one of the most difficult things they have ever had to do.  To have no voice takes away who you are as a person and this helped them realize just another reason why we should support fair trade. 

road trip

I just went on a road trip with my French students to Brandon, Manitoba.  On the way there, we made two stops at Tim Horton's and no fair trade... nada... niet...  I even asked them if they had anything, and they said that if they actually knew what fair trade was, then maybe they would get some in....  hmmm...  So, the teacher in me did a quick version of my fair trade lesson and had blank stares looking back at me.  I don' t think Tim Hortons is going to have any fair trade products in very soon. :) 
I was so proud that one of my students with me is doing the One Month Challenge as well.  She was right along with me with the non-coffee/chocolate/tea items at Tim's.  I had to settle with peach juice on a cold, cold day...  I was pleasantly surprised though, that in the Winners in Brandon, there was a large selection of fair trade coffee.  That may be one of the cheapest places I have seen coffee being sold. I would have bought some if I were a coffee drinker.

yummmm fair trade chocolate!!

I just have to say that I am really enjoying eating all this fair trade chocolate.  It definitely is my favourite and you can get so many different flavours.  My favourite by far has to be the mint dark chocolate that has little pieces of candycane or some sort of mint candy crushed up in it. I made banana bread the other day and instead of putting non-fair trade chocolate chips in it, I crushed up a Dairy Milk bar.  Wow!!! Sooo sooo good!!  I think that is what I am going to do from now on. 
I'm not finding it difficult at all to consume only fair trade items.  The only problem I have encountered would be when I go for sushi, or out for coffee with my friends, a lot of the places don't have fair trade products.  I always end up getting water instead.  They all have their explanations for not having fair trade products though.  They always say that they get their coffee from farms they own and where the farmers are treated well and paid fairly.  I am extremely skeptical about this information and I would really like to have some proof. 

So so proud

The past couple days at our school, we have been selling fair trade chocolates just to make students aware of what fair trade is.  We started off with 400 chocolates, and we are out of them, just in 2 days.  I give the credit to one student who is very enthusiastic about informing people about fair trade issues.  In a school as small as ours (only about 200 students), students are learning quite a bit about fair trade just through their peers.  Walking down the hall, I hear students saying, "Oh look!! You can even see the symbol on the chocolate!"  My goal with this was to have kids become aware, and enthusiastic about what fair trade is, and I believe I have reached my goal, even if its just with a few students.

I have been finding that I really have to watch what I eat this month.  There are always some sort of chocolate goodie in the staff room that I cannot eat.  Luckily I have stocked up on fair trade chocolates so that I am not tempted by all this chocolate around me!  Even going to Starbucks, there is not very much I can have there.  I asked for fair trade tea, and they said they don't have fair trade tea, but that the coffee and tea they get is from their own producers and that they promote equitable and fair treatment of their workers. I would really love to see the facts about that!  I settled for an apple juice.

Me!!

My name is Ainsley and I am definitely an advocate for fair trade.  Ever since I was a grade 7 teacher, teaching Social Studies, I have been trying to get people to buy fair trade products.  I lived in Mexico for a year, and there, you really see what poverty is.  In Canada, you can see poverty, but its not really in your face.  Once I learned that buying fair trade could help break the poverty cycle, I was hooked.  Why not do something as small as buying fair trade products to help people around the world who weren't afforded the luxury of being born in Canada?   So, since then, I have done my best to buy mostly fair trade products, although there are times when I am desperate for chocolate, and cave!!!  I think my worst addiction are the cookies at the school canteen! They are my one weakness.  So, for the next month, I will stay away from any chocolate that is not fair trade, including those yummy yummy chocolate chip cookies.

So, today was Day 1 of the One Month Challenge (OMC) and I did pretty well!! I stocked up on chocolates and am probably good for the next couple months!! I felt like a squirrel collecting his nuts preparing for a really really cold winter!!  :)  Kind of like the squirrel, or squirrel-like animal on Ice Age, except I actually get to eat the nut, or chocolate in my case. :)  I don't drink coffee, and a bit of tea, so I think I should be ok.  I will just make sure that when I go out to Tim Hortons, I get water or juice or something instead of a non-fair trade item.  
Tomorrow we are starting our sale of fair trade chocolates.  I hope all goes well and the kids want to buy them! I have to try to convince people that buying fair trade is a good thing!!  Well, if I reach one person, then I have done my job. :)