Trade As One

Amy’s take:

Touchdown in India and I knew I was in an alien land. Of the places I have visited, from Uganda to Mexico to the south of France, none could be likened to this.

As soon as my feet met the ground outside of the airport, I was hit with a wave of sweltering heat, the kind that causes moisture to immediately bead up on your skin and thirst to simultaneously parch your throat. A few minutes later, some rupee notes slapped into the hands of a surly parking attendant, and we were headed off into the Mumbai traffic. By off I mean off to a standstill. Ten years spent living in central London and struggling through its constant traffic jams seemed like a breeze in comparison with the lock jam that we now encountered. While there were many cars on the road, there were far more three-wheeled black and yellow auto-rickshaws, weaving their way through minute spaces between vehicles (there are no lanes in Indian traffic, merely a size hierarchy: trucks trump cars and rickshaws, rickshaws trump motorcycles and bikes, and bikes trump people).

Rickwalas (auto-rickshaw drivers) and truck drivers alike feverishly honked their horns, leaving a permanent ringing through my ears. These sights and sounds were accompanied by the lurching motion of the car forcefully braking every few feet and the constant fear of hitting the vehicle trying to cut in front of us, or one of the hundreds of people putting their lives in mortal danger as they fearlessly crossed the road. Little did we know how accustomed we would become to these novelties by the time we returned to the West three weeks later.

Lindsay’s take:

I now can’t remember just what I expected to find in India, but for some reason culture shock conveniently didn’t catch up with me until about four days before we left.

From the moment my sister, mum, and I arrived in Mumbai, India accosted us with its smells, sounds, and sights, both familiar: chains like McDonald’s and Pizza Hut, and strange: cows blocking intersections and Hindi roadsigns. We didn’t have time to be shocked; we simply had to keep up with the pace. I liken it to the road-crossing protocol to which Amy alluded: steel your nerves, grit your teeth, and go for it. Don’t look back or hesitate, or you might get run over.

Though slightly uncomfortable to be such an obvious spectacle (as a white, short-haired, twenty-something year old female), I found myself staring back with equal interest at the bright saris that women effortlessly sport even atop motorcycles. I unabashedly grilled our Indian friends about the ingredients in their delicious curries, dahls, and stews. I snapped countless pictures of roadside vendors, auto-rickshaws, and strangers with gusto.

There were, however, things about India that, from our first day, I found less agreeable. Rubbish bags that littered practically every inch of ground, the energy-sapping heat and humidity (before the monsoon thankfully arrived), and the innumerable people filling roadsides, slums, buses, and restaurants. Something our friend and host said when she picked us up from the airport stuck in my mind as the backdrop for our trip: “Life in India is neither valued or valuable. Because when quantity goes up, worth goes down.”

We found this statement reiterated throughout our time in India, but as we visited different organizations working toward social justice, we were refreshed to find it cracked wide open. More about that in coming posts…

We’re here today to introduce to you those interns that we mentioned in our last post and to let you know about the treat that you’re in store for this month!

Sajira Awang

Sajira Awang is a senior at nearby UCSC. She is a Community Studies major, and has a thing for numbers, which makes her Trade as One supervisors very happy. She is passionate about social justice and hopes to effect change in the world by working with an organization that combats human trafficking after graduating college.

Lindsay & Amy Beck

Lindsay Beck (above left) is a senior English major at Davidson College, and her sister Amy (above right) is a sophomore French and Psychology major at USC. They hail originally from England (with an English mum and a Californian dad), and are spending their summer interning at Trade as One. Before touching down on the west coast in mid-June, they ventured to India for three weeks! There they dipped their toes into the sea of culture: becoming accustomed to cows in the road, getting invited into a Hindu wedding, and taking some hair-raising auto-rickshaw rides. Lindsay and Amy also visited two producers for Trade as One, and saw several other inspiring organizations working toward social justice.

Over the next few weeks, Lindsay and Amy will be sharing some of their India experiences on this blog through stories and pictures. We invite you to come along for the ride as they unpack and share what they have learned!

The start of summer is upon us, which means short-sleeve season is officially a go. Here at Trade as One, we’re celebrating the season with 40% off our Make Your Mark and Trade as One logo t-shirts!

Our super-soft cotton tees are made by HAE Now, an organization committed to ethics and social responsibility, to human rights, and to preventing environmental degradation and animal exploitation. HAE Now grows and processes 100% organic cotton: a safe and sustainable practice. It is grown with natural fertilizers and as such is free from harmful toxins, providing a 100% environmentally friendly product.

HAE Now’s Indian farms and mill are all Fair Trade Certified. By assisting struggling farmers to climb out of debt and poverty, they pave the way for a dignified livelihood. Profits are then reinvested in social and community development to extend their impact.

Also noteworthy: summer interns have landed at Trade as One! Welcome to Lindsay, Amy and Sajira! We had some fun today in the California sun shooting pictures of the comfy and cool t-shirts that you will soon be sporting. Enjoy!

Update: the Account Manager and e-Commerce Operations Manager positions have been filled.

We are looking for two people to join our team: an Account Manager and an e-Commerce Operations Manager.

Trade as One is a not-just-for-profit business whose mission is to create Fair Trade employment as quickly and sustainably as possible while also participating in a culture shift in America connecting values and spending power. It does this as an online retailer of fair trade products whilst also partnering with churches and other faith based organizations in order to create jobs.

If you believe in the mission of our organization and have the required skills, abilities and experience, please follow the application instructions in the job descriptions here.

We are based in Santa Cruz, California - truly one of the mildest places to live. It is hard to imagine as we still wake up to fog and wear sweaters in the office that some of you are facing sweltering temperatures. But, we know from our friends in Austin, TX, that they have had record-breaking temperatures already this summer! It is because of the extreme heat and even not-so-extreme heat that each year, during the summer, we stop shipping chocolate. Chocolate lovers, we are sorry!

If you are in the Santa Cruz area, you are welcome to pop by the office or store and purchase chocolate in person.

If you want to purchase a large bulk order and are willing to pay for expedited shipping so we can cold-pack your order, simply contact us.

Chocolate will be back on the website early this fall and we will be sure to let you know about it!