By Stephanie Nieuwoudt
NAIROBI, Mar 30 2007 (IPS)

It is early morning and the Undugu Fair Trade Shop, tucked away in a suburban shopping centre in Nairobi, is bustling. Apart from the few locals, there are the usual tourists, recognizable from their safari outfits: khaki shirts and trousers and the obligatory hat worn even when indoors.

They cannot resist touching the beautiful soapstone carvings, trying on the brightly coloured necklaces and earrings and picking up a variety of bags in leather and cloth. ”I love this shop as I know it helps to improve the lives of marginalized people,” says Christine Cahalan, a missionary who has called Kenya her home the past two years.

”The crafts sold here are beautifully made. I shop here for myself and when I get overseas visitors, I bring them here as well,” Cahalan adds.

Susan Mathai, a Kenyan lawyer, says the words ”Undugu” and ”Fair Trade” on the signboard drew her into the shop the first time a few years ago.

”Undugu means brotherhood or solidarity. And I like the idea that the things in this shop are sold according to fair trade values,” she points out. These values include transparency and accountability, capacity building, fair and prompt payment and gender equity.

The Undugu shop is the only one in Kenya. According to Fredrick Masinde, general manager of the Undugu Fair Trade Unit, it is possibly the only one in Africa which has been accredited by the International Federation of Alternative Trade (IFAT).

Working with street children is still at the core of the USK’s activities, but the projects also include an education and training programme and community empowerment programme.

Across Kenya 800 families with an average of seven members each earn incomes from the Undugu Fair Trade Shop. Related activities translate into hundreds more benefiting indirectly. Speaking to some of the artisans who supply Undugu with crafts, it is clear that the project has improved their lives.

Mama Salome Oendo (53) joined Undugu over 20 years ago. ”I had a small shop where I sold soap stone objects. One day a woman from Undugu arrived and bought some of my work to bring to Nairobi. I did not think I would see her again, but she was back the next week. She placed a huge order and I have since been working for Undugu regularly.

”Thanks to the money I get from them, I was able to put my four children through school. One even managed to go to university.” She sells to and gets paid directly by the organisation. There is no intermediary who pays her a pittance only to re-sell her products at exorbitantly inflated prices elsewhere.

Ben Oreni (38) and Siango Masese (41) are both suppliers of soapstone crafts while Oreni also sells pumice stone crafts. They too say that their lives have been improved by their relationship with Undugu.

Although Oreni hails from Nakuru in the Great Rift Valley and Masese from a small town Tabaka in Kisii, about 400 km from Nairobi, they often meet at the regular Undugu workshops, some of which are held in the capital. Both grew up hankering after something better.

”I was not too poor growing up but you know how it is. Children always want to be better off than their parents,” says Oreni. ”One of my goals was to have a house with a permanent structure. And thanks to Undugu I could achieve this.”

Masese says he too built a permanent house and he can also afford health care for his wife and four children. According to Masinde, members are assured of an average monthly income of around 350 US dollars. In a country where more than 50 percent of the population live on less than one dollar per day, this is seen as a princely income by many.

”This figure may vary depending on the market. As we export most of the handcrafts, we sometimes have to fill large orders. If a big order comes through, the crafters get substantially more,” Masinde adds.

The Undugu Fair Trade arm of the USK has an annual turnover of around 468,000 US dollars. Most of the revenue generated comes from exports to the European Union and the United States. There is an expectation that the demand for export products will increase which will boost financial figures.

”Through our training and design workshops, we emphasise the fact that the crafters have to think in terms of the international market,” says Masinde.

”We do a lot of research to ensure that we keep up with the demands of the overseas markets. These ideas are relayed to the artists who are able to produce work that can compete internationally. There is stiff competition out there, and we must stay in touch with market demands,” he points out.

From the money that Undugu pays to the crafters, the artists pay out substantial amounts to people who are employed by them. Alex Mutua (49), a wood carver from the coastal town of Mailini, says he employs three people on a permanent basis.

Juliana Katunge, a wood- and leatherworker and jewellery maker from Nairobi, says she employs five people. And when there is a lot of work, both Mutua and Katunge employ casual workers.

”It makes me feel proud to know that I can help other people,” Katunge says. ”I love the fact that Undugu holds regular workshops. Designers help us with new ideas and I find the interaction inspirational.”

The artists like working alongside their employees. ”These are my city clothes,” says Oreni, pointing to his smart trousers and shiny black shoes. ”Back in Nakuru I wear overalls constantly. I am covered in soapstone dust and I look like a ghost. Before the bread comes to the table, you have to work with your people.”

Mutua says that although his main source of income is from the work he does for Undugu, the organisation does not bind artists to them exclusively. ”Most of us have other clients as well. This is good because when there is a dip in the Undugu business, we can sell our products elsewhere.”

Although all the Undugu workers have high praise for the organisation, most of them complain about not always having enough cash in hand to buy supplies when orders come through. They would appreciate an advance to buy supplies.

”We are aware of the problem,” says Masinde. ”It is something we are trying to find a solution to. At the moment, it is difficult as our overseas clients often only pay in full three or four months after delivery. Much as we would like to pay in advance, it is simply not possible at this stage.”

The Undugu Fair Trade initiative is facing another challenge: increased demand for jobs. ”Many of the families who have been with us for years have grown-up children now. Some of them cannot find jobs even though they have been to university. They are asking Undugu to help them,” states Masinde.

”It is a problem as there is not always enough work. However, we are looking for solutions to this challenge. It is clear that we have to expand but there are financial constraints. We need to come up with creative solutions and find new markets.”

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