THERE`S A FAIR TRADE STORY IN EACH

LETTERPRESSING FOR PLANET AND PEOPLE
T HER E ’ S A FAI R T R AD E STO RY I N E ACH D E SI G N . Fair Trade certified organizations hire and train people who have been
marginalized by war, weather, and damaging cultural systems. Sustain & Heal letterpressed invitations directly support artisans around the
world who are working to overcome adversity. Read some of their stories below. Find more information online at www.sustainandheal.com
Hajera Hayadaly lives in Bangladesh. Her home is near “Bonoful Handmade
Paper,” part of “Prokritee,” a Fair Trade project that employs women who are
heads of households and need to support their families. Hajera’s father died
when she was five years old and left her mother with five children. When
Hajera was eleven her mother found a husband for her so there was one less
child in the house. Her new husband was seventy years old. Within a few years,
Hajera and her husband had four children. Unfortunately her husband was
unable to work because of his increasing age. For the last nine years, Hajera has
been working at Bonoful. From her earnings, she has been able to support her
family. All of her children have had the opportunity to go to school. With her
dividend earnings Hajera was able to purchase a piece of land and cultivate rice. Hajera is confident in her
future. She has a job, her children are happy and educated, and she can provide for her family’s needs.
Germaine used to live with her parents and nine brothers and sisters.
Both of her parents and her five eldest siblings were killed in the genocide
in 1994 and she was left at age eleven to care for her three younger
siblings. In addition to losing her family, Germaine was left with a
demolished house and no belongings. She was discouraged because
children would come to her for answers and she could not provide them
with a response. What she had experienced was beyond her grasp and
depression overwhelmed her. She wished she had died instead of being
left to care for these children while in need of a parent or guardian for herself. Germaine is now 23
and still looks after her siblings who are 18, 15, and 13 years old. She has an occupation at “Cards from
Africa” and is able to pay rent for a house, feed the family, and buy clothes and school supplies for
their education. Germaine is proud to see paper made by her own hands. She is able to enjoy life
with her family because they are together. Germaine hopes to open her own shop. “Cards from
Africa” is helping and encouraging her to learn the skills needed to succeed in her business.
SHAR E T HEI R STO R I E S . Designed into each Sustain & Heal invitation is an optional
space that briefly describes where the paper came from and who made it. If you choose to leave
this area blank, just let us know during the proofing process. All printing is done in South
Pasadena, California on antique presses using solar power or plain old elbow grease!