Fairtrade is a well-known organisation, however, people don’t know much more about it than ‘The bananas with the sticker on’. As a school and a student council, we were determined to know more about this organisation and how it helps producers and farmers around the world.
To help us learn more, 10 students and Mairie, our Chaplain went to Liverpool Hope University to a Fairtrade conference. We were joined by another high school and five primary schools, and we all had the same aim – to learn more!
At the conference there were four different stations, explaining the work of Fairtrade. For example, we listened to a talk about cotton production and how Fairtrade has helped two young children get a better price for their cotton, and this has allowed the children to enjoy a better quality of life. The children had made the journey from Africa and were telling us first-hand how Fairtrade was helping them. Hearing their life stories and the positive difference Fairtrade has made to them, really brought the issue home to us all.
Another boy and girl had come to talk to us from a cocoa bean farming community, and explain the difference between Fairtrade farms and regular farms they informed us of the improved working conditions. We were able to sample some yummy Fairtrade chocolate, and that got us thinking………..
As a student council, we decided to have a Fairtrade chocolate stall at the Christmas Market with the help of Miss Carlton and Mairie. After a lot of planning and preparation, we decided upon our range of stock and the price we wanted to charge. We were thrilled with the interest from people and the success of the stall. We managed to sell all of our stock and then sent the money off to Fairtrade.
Our plans for the future are to make St Nicholas a ‘Fairtrade School’. To create a notice board that will raise awareness of the fact that Fairtrade products give the producers and farmers a fair price and to keep everyone up to date with our progress.
Thank you to anyone who bought from our stall at Christmas and I hope you enjoyed your purchases.
Hannah Middlebrook 8B
