Ten Thousand Villages sell arts of the developing world

Nativity set by West Bank artist George Al-Atrash, carved in olivewood

Mennonites aren’t just black-garbed men with beards and hats who still drive horse-and-buggies, Emily Burgetz patiently explained during the Mennonite Christmas Festival at Harbourfront: “It’s a faith, and like any church there are those who are more conservative in how they live and dress. However, one thing we do all believe in is being socially conscious and helping our neighbour.”

Emily is the chairperson and volunteer coordinator of the Mennonite Central Committee’s Ten Thousand Villages, a non-profit program aimed at giving relief, support and North American market exposure to artists in over 30 developing countries around the world.

The organization, which has been operating since 1946, provides a safe and clean work environment for the artists and gives them money up front to pay for materials that they would have otherwise struggled to afford. The other half of the money is paid when the goods are ready to be shipped out of the country. Because of this pay-in-advance system as opposed to commissions or “on spec,” it means that artists are still paid for their efforts even if not all of their respective products are sold.

The Christmas festival showcased some of the fine craftsmanship the program has fostered. There were hand-made paper products from Bangladesh, terra cotta sculptures from Vietnam, cloth products from India, and a variety of Christmas ornaments and nativity scenes from Peru, the Philippines, Cameroon, and Laos.

The prices were generally quite reasonable, especially considering that the merchandise is all hand-made, one-of-a-kind craftsmanship. A set of three terra cotta rabbits, made in Bangladesh, cost $3.98. A beautiful green ceramic vase from Vietnam cost just under $15. At the other end of the scale, you can pay $280 for a black elephant from India constructed from leather and paper maché that stands half a metre tall, or $175 for an elegant, olivewood nativity scene created by George al-Atrash, a woodcarver from the West Bank.

Most of the people involved with Ten Thousand Villages are volunteers thereby ensuring the largest possible portion of the profits goes directly back to the artists.

Hand-made musical instrument in the shape of a frog

“We find people who need income, then facilitate the means for them to develop the necessarily skills,” said volunteer Lee Bartel, as he stood beside a display of musical instruments: Indonesian didgeridoos, Indian tabla drums, and a whole host of other things that made cool noises when you whacked them.

Bartel, a professor of music at the University of Toronto, has been involved with the program for the last ten years.

“It’s something I believe in,” he said as he demonstrates a Peruvian ocarina carved in the shape of a turtle. “Can’t you just picture a shepherd taking a break from the flock, sitting on a hill, and playing a little tune on this thing?”

A big part of what Ten Thousand Voices does is to educate the people who are buying the products about the people who created them. Each piece bears a label indicating where it was created. By making a quick trip to the festival’s education centre booth, the buyer could also find out what materials were used and perhaps even the artist’s name. It’s a system that aims to nurture and humanize the artists and their work instead of exploiting them.

Ten Thousand Villages is a member of the International Federation for Alternative Trade (IFAT) and the Fair Trade Federation (FTF).

In addition to holding craft exhibitions like the Mennonite Christmas Festival around Canada and the United States, Ten Thousand Villages maintains several storefronts throughout North America, including three in Toronto and one in Oakville. For more information, visit www.tenthousandvillages.com

Photography by Erin Bell