Lee University effort aids impoverished craftsmen

CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Arts and crafts from villagers half a world away are available on North Ocoee Street for just a few weeks.

The Global Gift Shop, temporarily housed in a building just south of Lee University’s new chapel, is a project of Ten Thousand Villages and some people from the university.

Founded in 1946 through the Mennonite Church, Ten Thousand Villages gathers products including toys, head scarves, baskets, musical instruments and jewelry. All the items, small and lightweight to save shipping costs, come from villagers in countries as varied as Kenya, India, Nepal and Guatemala.

The items often are crafted from material cast aside by others.

Murl Dirksen, a Lee professor, explained how the items come here labeled and priced.

He said the merchandise is made in community workshops in developing countries by people trying to use their skills to escape from poverty. Ninety percent of the price goes back to those people, he said, as an example of fair-trade pricing. The store here uses the other 10 percent to help local community groups.

“So there’s really no money involved on our part,” Dirksen said.

Coming from a Mennonite background himself and seeing Ten Thousand Villages stores in other parts of Tennessee, Dirksen and others brought the store here. Now in its third year, it has moved to a more visible location. The building, once the local office of Chattanooga Gas, now belongs to the university.

The store is operated by student volunteers.

“When people come in, they start with one thing but there’s so much stuff from all parts of the world that they are intrigued,” said Anna Luzader, a senior who has traveled to some of the countries represented in the store.

“I really like the concept of fair trade,” said Whitney Camp, another senior. “It offers an opportunity for artists in other countries to be able to make a good living.”

Brian Hope, a Lee graduate, helps organize the store. Another shipment will come early next week, he said.