It's not too late!

Stressing over last minute shopping for Christmas? It's not too late to order online! You have until 12 PM EST on December 20th to order from the One Mango Tree online shop - you'll receive the gifts before Christmas! We use USPS Priority Mail in the United States, which only takes 2-3 days to arrive. You should get your order no later than December 23rd, and shipping is free on ALL orders through Christmas! So, sit back, relax, and cross those last few gifts off your list.

And remember, when you shop One Mango Tree, you're creating jobs for women in Uganda - all the better to give two gifts rather than just one!

Happy shopping, and Happy Holidays!

Meet Aloyo Concy

Meet Aloyo Concy, one of our best tailors. She joined One Mango Tree in 2008, when we sponsored a training in Unyama Camp, and internal displacement camp on the outskirts of Gulu. Concy has a great smile, and loves to laugh. She's totally serious about her work - at our first workshop, Concy pulled her sewing machine onto veranda every day so that she could have total focus on her work, quietly humming to herself while she churned out Market Totes all day long.

Concy's intense focus is because of her daughters - keeping them all in school and making sure they have a comfortable and safe environment to come home to. She hopes to save enough money from her work at One Mango Tree to buy land and build her own home.

Check out the tag on your One Mango Tree product - did Concy make your bag?

 

For more photos from our visit to Concy's place, check out her album on Facebook.

BIG Gratitude Winners

Last month we had a big giveaway - we asked you to refer a friend who you really thought needed a big Christmas gift. The winner received $100 in One Mango Tree goods for herself, and $100 to give away to her friend. November's winners were Kelly and Stephanie. Check out what Kelly had to say about her friend Stephanie:

 Stepanie, her husband and their three daughters

Christmas just got a bit more fun for my friend Stephanie.

After struggling to become pregnant, miracle baby number #1 arrived 3 ½ years ago and turned this couple into a family. Wanting to grow their family again, they were called to adoption and traveled across the world to China in June 2010 to bring home a little girl born with cleft lip/cleft palate. Lots of adjustments and some surgeries too. But, confirmation all along that they were right where they were supposed to be.

Then, something happened. They learned of a baby girl in a remote city in a country many people have never even heard of who was also born with cleft lip/cleft palate. And, she needed a family.

Unsure and a bit anxious, they took steps forward to discern if this little girl was their little girl. And, every step led to an open door; every open door to the next step.

On Black Friday, while most mothers were running around the mall, this mama was on a plane with her husband and her new baby girl. While we were eating turkey dinner leftovers, they were uniting 3 sisters for the first time.

Christmas is going to be interesting for them this year. Two international adoptions in less than 18 months = a lot of money spent. But, I have a feeling they won’t be worrying about how many or how few gifts are wrapped under their tree this year. They’ve got 3 precious gifts to celebrate.

Unique Holiday Gifts, Free Shipping & a Free Tote!

Happy Holidays! We hope you had a Thanksgiving full of gratitude, family and friends. We're offering lots of great deals this holiday season, starting with FREE Shipping on all orders over $50, and FREE Shipping & a FREE gift tote on orders over $100. Spread the word!

Curious about that free gift tote? Here it is - with a special message about empowering women.

**The snowflakes in this week's promotion are made of our favorite things, all of which make great gifts! - Yoga Bag and Eye Pillow in Bali Batik, Saturn Rock necklace and Droplet bracelet from 31Bits, and our Cross-Body Bag in Harvest Moon

xo Halle

Inspired: Louise's story

I asked Louise to share her story - the reason behind giving away her $150 fair trade giveaway in October, and the inspiration behind our BIG Gratitude Giveaway for November. Here it is:

I do Angel Tree, it's for kids who will not have a Christmas, some of their wants are super silly, but I pick the needs you can see they really do need clothes, want something pretty. When someone writes on Angel Tree "new socks, new clothes, hair stuff" and not "give me a wii," you know they want and need it. They write down their wishes and their sizes. I never get to meet them, but know in my heart, I may be bringing confidence into a person's life for school with new clothes, something fun, something funky. Also we do senior homes and send gifts to the servicemen overseas. 

There is a lady on twitter who got me even more motivated to help, we are both cancer survivors, its a good way to say thanks to God and pay it forward. I believe in karma and believe in so giving giving back, sharing what you have. You can't take it with you so why be so greedy in life, share - we are all a team here (yes she embedded that thought into me too),  working to make a better place. Lets stop thinking ME ME ME and start thinking  WE WE WE. 

I thank you for the giveaway, and letting me share what I have, thats why I enter to share a little more, so thank you.  Hope all Pay it forward this season, thinking about what they can give not get, well for me I get alot back in my heart and spirit. God Bless you!

Thank you, Louise! 

Psst...Love that image at the top? Me too - found it here.

Share the love - Our Big Gratitude Giveaway

In October we gave away $150 worth of One Mango Tree fair trade apparel and accessories to the winner of our Fair Trade Month Giveaway. Our winner, Louise, sent in her order and let us know that she selected a teenager from Angel Tree and would be including some of the products in a Christmas goodie bag for a young woman in need.

One of the best things about running a fair trade business is the generosity of our customers - sometimes I feel like our work is just a small drop in the ocean, but customers like Louise show me the ways that a small drop can send out infinite ripples of kindness.

November is a very special month for One Mango Tree - we make an extra effort to focus on Gratitude - what it means in our work, what it means for our producers, and what it means for our customers.

In celebration of Louise's generosity, we're having another BIG giveaway - challenging you to up the ante. We'll be giving away $200 in merchandise this month - $100 for the winner, and $100 to give as a gift. 

Here's how it works:

1. Choose someone who really deserves a gift, and send us a message to let us know why. Email your entry to info@onemangotree.com. Your submission should be 250 words or less - longer entries will be disqualified. Winning story will be shared on our blog, so be sure it's okay to share the story!
2. Once you've submitted your entry, be sure to either Tweet or post on Facebook about this giveaway. Your submission is only accepted when you've shared the giveaway - be sure to tag us at @onemangotree on Twitter and "like" and tag us on Facebook as well.

Get your entries ready and start sharing the love - this contest ends November 30th!

xo Halle

Changing how you think about clothes

This TEDx talk from Fair Trade USA's Heather Franzese is timely - right on topic with what we've been thinking about this month: Every Purchase Matters.

What are you wearing? Where was it made? "Made" probably makes you think "stitched," but what happened before that? Where did the fabric come from? Did your shirt start on a farm -- as a cotton plant, sheep's wool, a silkworm, petroleum, or a recycled plastic water bottle? These questions matter. Why is it that we can walk into a grocery store and make all kinds of choices about how our food is made and what's in it, but we can't make any of those same choices about clothing?



About Heather Franzese, senior manager at Fair Trade USA:
Heather has been working for more than 12 years to improve the lives of vulnerable farmers and workers in global supply chains. Last year, she launched Fair Trade USA's Fair Trade Certified™ Apparel & Linens program in the U.S. Heather brings together industry experience managing CSR for Columbia Sportswear Company's licensed and collegiate categories, a fundraising track record of channeling $4 million in social impact philanthropy to Fair Trade certification, and field experience working with small-scale farmers for the Peace Corps in Mali.

Sending thoughts to Awoto Margret

Please keep Awoto Margret and her family in your hearts this week - she lost her husband, Opiyo. Awoto Margret is the 'grandma' of One Mango Tree, always helping Alice with looking after the little ones. She is in charge of packaging - doing a final once-over on our products and making sure each product has a signed hangtag before it's placed in a poly bag and boxed for Kampala. Here are some beautiful shots of Margret and Opiyo at their home taken last month.

We will miss you Opiyo!

Who is the LRA?

Have you heard? President Obama is sending 100 US troops to Central Africa to help and advise government forces battling Ugandan Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels accused of murder, rape and kidnapping children.

While Northern Uganda has now seen a few years of sustained peace, the LRA continues to terrorize villages in Eastern Congo, Sudan and Central African Republic. Earlier this month, Invisible Children and Resolve announced the launch of the LRA Crisis Tracker - a mapping tool that reminds us, even though Northern Uganda is relatively safe, this conflict has not ended. 

All of the women working with One Mango Tree in our Gulu workshop have been affected by the LRA. Many lost brothers, fathers, and uncles. Several of our tailors were abducted and forced to fight. Others became child mothers when they were raped by LRA rebels and forced to serve as their wives. Almost all were displaced from their villages and have lived most of their lives in fear. While we are all glad to see peace in Northern Uganda, we cannot forget that this group continues to tear apart families and communities in other parts of Central Africa.

So, who is the LRA?

Who is the LRA from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.

What are your thoughts? Do you agree with President Obama's decision to send troops?

Video from the Horn of Africa

When I was in Uganda this spring, the Prime Minister was sending out text messages urging Ugandans to store food for the coming drought. We were waiting and waiting for rainy season to arrive, and watching food prices increase while inflation depressed buying power. It felt like impending disaster, but somehow the rains came, and the harvests came - for Northern Uganda.

In contrast, the northern areas of Kenya and Somalia are suffering from the worst famine in decades. The saddest part is that no one seems to be talking about it (outside of my Twitter feed, which follows a lot of aid workers in East Africa). The situation is dire, and there are things that you can do. For starters, watch this video of Dadaab Refugee Camp in Kenya.


Footage from the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya relating to Horn of Africa food crisis from World Vision ACT:S on Vimeo.

What can you do? Adapted from World Vision:

In this footage, you will see stories being told that words cannot quite capture. World Vision staff who travelled to Kenya shared these nine minutes of video clips so that we can see and connect.  The faces, tents, barren land, and sounds of Dadaab in Northern Kenya, the world’s largest refugee camp, paint a picture and tell a story that is difficult for us to understand.

Here’s the thing:  it’s simply nine minutes of footage. No music. No narration. No statistics. Just the sights and sounds of the camp. “The humanity of the refugees really shines through what is an intimate look at a people suffering quietly,” as one viewer described it.

Here are a few ways to use this powerful footage with your group:
1. Play it as people are entering an event.
2. Play and watch it as-is during an event.  It may get uncomfortable, but use that as leverage to start discussions. 
3. Have people write out the thoughts and feelings they experience as they watch the footage and discuss afterwards. 
4. Share it.  Post it on Facebook, Twitter, your blog, or forward it in an email.  Make it available to those who need to see it.

Those suffering from the famine in the Horn of Africa have a face, have a name, have a story. Take the time to watch this footage, share it with your network, and incorporate it into your activism.

Women, War & Peace

"It has become more dangerous to be a woman than an armed soldier in a conflict."
The first part of this powerful five-part series - Bosnia: I Came to Testify - aired on PBS tonight at 10 PM. If you missed it, be sure to tune in every Tuesday from now through November 8 to see the other episodes. Check out the trailer and be sure to watch and spread the word.

Watch the full episode. See more Women War and Peace.

Meet Akello Pamela

In fall 2009, after Stacey Edgar of Global Girlfriend visited our project, we received our largest handbag order to date. We knew we were going to need more tailors to get things done. We'd brought all of our tailors under one roof in June 2009, but the ladies from Bobi and Unyama camps weren't quite ready to make our more complicated purse designs to the level of quality we needed. One day after work, Lucy and I were talking about our predicament, discussing our options.

The next morning was a rainy one, and I knew Gulu would be in a standstill. With most people traveling on foot or by bicycle, very little happens on rainy weekday mornings. I took my time waking up, made some coffee and unlocked the workshop door. I was headed to the office with my laptop bag, but out of the corner of my eye I saw three ladies huddled on the front porch.

One of them, Akello Pamela, had her little daughter nestled on her lap.

All three women were wrapped in woolen scarves, shivering in the cool Gulu rain. I smiled and greeted them all, and quickly realized that none of them spoke English. I had no idea why they were there. Suddenly my phone rang - it was Prisca. She apologized for being late to work (Prisca rides her bicycle several miles to get to work each day), and asked if any of the ladies had yet arrived. I glanced at the three women on the porch - they avoided my eyes.

"Um, yes, there are three ladies I've never met - none of them speak English. I think they've been sitting on our porch for some time. Do you know anything about this?" I asked.

"Ahhh, sorry," Prisca laughed her short, now famous laugh. "Those must be the new ladies Lucy found - they are already tailors and they can sew well - they can help us with our order. I am coming Halle, let me come."

Pamela quickly became one of our best tailors, bringing her daughter Maria to work everyday on her bicycle. Shortly after starting work with One Mango Tree, she invited me to visit her family in the village, Awac.

Awac is only a short drive from Gulu town, but during the height of conflict in Northern Uganda, the insecurity caused Pamela's family to flee to town for safety. She lost brothers and uncles in the fighting and her family lost their livestock, which had been the base of their livelihood. After 21 years away, Pamela's family returned to their land. She stayed behind and began working for One Mango Tree, saving money for her own future and sending it to the village to help her family.

To learn more about Pamela, check out past stories here and here.
See more beautiful photos of Akello Pamela and Maria on our Facebook page.

October Fair Trade Month Wardrobe Giveaway

We're pushing the envelope in honor of Fair Trade Month - friends, are you ready for this? Our October giveaway is $150 to buy One Mango Tree products. Our new Fall Collection arrives this month, so that means you'll get first dibs on all the beautiful new products, including sweet hats from Andean Collection and lots of gorgeous jewelry from 31Bits! Have a sneak peek here, and tell everyone you know!

 Oh yes, the Organic Shirred Tunic in Chocolate and some 31Bits. Perfect.

Charcoal Lola Hat, Sunset Hand-loomed Scarf, Indigo Organic Cozy Tee

 

 Organic Maxi Skirt in Indigo/Sycamore & Chocolate Lola Hat

Weekender Bag in Spiced Cider & Indigo Organic Cozy Tee

Getting excited? There's more where these came from! To win this HUGE giveaway, all you have to do is help us spread the word about One Mango Tree. Here's how to do it:

1. Mention us  on Twitter and make sure to tag us using @onemangotree
2. Link to One Mango Tree on Facebook - make sure you tag us using @One Mango Tree so we can see your post!
3. Talk about One Mango Tree on your blog and link to our site, Twitter and/or FB page - make sure you comment on our blog and include a hyperlink to your blog post

If you mentioned us on Twitter, you're all set, if it's a Facebook or blog post, leave a comment here so we can find it and enter you. EACH ENTRY COUNTS, so the more you tweet, the more chances you have to win! Thanks for the love!

xo Halle

Meet Adong Kevin

When you visit the One Mango Tree workshop in Gulu, Adong Kevin is sure to be your language teacher. Her approach for teaching Acholi-as-a-second-language? She continuously speaks to you in Acholi until you get it. I once spent an afternoon cooking chicken and malakwang with Kevin and Prisca. They decided not to speak English with me the entire day - several hours later, I'd figured out how to communicate that 1) no, I wasn't going to break the chicken's neck, and 2) I was really sorry for how bad I was at cooking _______(fill in the blank with any Acholi food item).
 

Kevin started out with One Mango Tree in the very early days - easily one of Mama Lucy's favorites. She was always on time for work, and after opening the stall doors, her next step was always to crank up the radio. When Julie Carney, Director of Gardens for Health in Rwanda, worked with One Mango Tree for two months, she and Kevin became fast friends - when Kevin's first child was born a couple of years ago, she named her Aber Juliet. She's a strong and sassy little girl, and with a smile just like her mom's. She often spends afternoons chasing Anena Betty's son, Obama, around the compound.

See the rest of the photos from our visit to Kevin's home here.

When promotions came around this summer, Kevin was an obvious choice - she still occasionally stitches handbags, but most of the time you can find her checking the work of the other tailors. She's in charge of quality control, making sure that the women are following guidelines for quality and consistency in their work. Kevin and her husband rent a tukul in Gulu town, but she's saving for land and a house of her own. She's proud that she doesn't have to ask her husband for money - with her salary, she can easily buy food and clothes, and take family members to the hospital without having to worry.

October is Fair Trade Month

Every Purchase Matters.

That's really something to think about. I love that October is Fair Trade Month. Fall is my favorite season, and the perfect time to reflect as the weather turns cooler and the season's change creeps in. Summer's crazy schedules wind down, and the hectic holidays still seem far off on the horizon. We finally have the time to be present - conscious of the decisions we make each day.

Fair Trade is a Story. Here's one story about how fair trade helps farmers around the world, and your role as a consumer.

There is really only one thing we ask of our customers this month - start to think about your purchases. Our sputtering economy has most people tightening their belts and doing their best to hang on. In an effort to save, we often look to buy only what's cheap in the marketplace. This month, instead of looking at price tags alone, we urge you to make the effort to see behind the price - look for the person behind the product. Hesitate for just one minute to think about how your buying decisions are shaping our world.

Need some help finding fair trade products? Check out this great new app from Fair Trade USA - Fair Trade Finder - every time you find a fair trade product in a shop, you can check in. It's a huge, community-based effort to make it a little easier for all of us to shop fair trade.

In honor of fair trade month, we're boosting our efforts to share our fair trade story with you - you'll see beautiful photo stories of our tailors and more in-depth information about how we comply with the nine principles of fair trade.

We'll also make it a little easier for you to shop fair trade. Twice during the month we'll have two-day free shipping events - but you have to stay tuned. Check our Twitter feed and Facebook to find out when it will happen.

And then there is our October Giveaway. You've never seen a giveaway like this before.

How will you celebrate Fair Trade Month? Share your story with us.

Developing Transparent Relationships

What are you wearing? The tag on your shirt might say "Made in Bangladesh" or "Made in China," but what does it mean? Who actually made it? What is their life like? When you shop, does it make you responsible for the way in which the worker is treated? Or how the factory treats the environment? What role does the consumer play?

 What does it mean?

I never asked myself these questions until I started One Mango Tree. When we began working on our organic apparel line, I toured LAP Textiles, a large (now closed) apparel manufacturing facility in Kampala's industrial area. The factory was clean - it didn't match up with the idea of a "sweatshop" that I'd had in my mind. The sewing operators were almost entirely women - at that point in time, there were 300 women working at LAP, and they were stitching button-down shirts for EDUN, the clothing line started by Bono and his wife Ali Hewson.

What gave me pause during that visit was learning that sewing operators at LAP Textiles made 90,000 Ugandan shillings per month. At the time, that was equivalent to $45. Sure, these women had jobs, but how much could they buy with $45 per month? Not much.

What about other factories, where dangerous toxic chemicals are discharged into rivers? Or where women workers are raped, tortured and abused? Or where toxic chemicals emitted from clothing actually cause workers to pass out?

Producers and factories are responsible for their labor and environmental practices, but we think consumers are responsible too. In a way, shopping is like voting - every dollar you spend is placing a vote.

The second principle of fair trade is about transparency and accountability:

Develop transparent and accountable relationships.

The Fair Trade Federation defines this principle further:

Fair trade involves relationships that are open, fair, consistent, and respectful. Members show consideration for both customers and producers by sharing information about the entire trading chain through honest and proactive communication. They create mechanisms to help customers and producers feel actively involved in the trading chain. If problems arise, members work cooperatively with fair trade partners and other organizations to implement solutions.

For One Mango Tree, this transparency and accountability is the foundation of what we do. From paying our workers a fair wage to sharing the details of our supply chain with our customers, we build this principle into our model. We strive to build a better workplace for our staff in Uganda - ensuring fair wages, providing child care and respectful leave policies, and trainings on financial literacy and savings. Our producers organize to determine their own labor rates. We strive to educate our customers on our processes and help them learn to make more conscious buying decisions.

We also bring you a face with each product by including a signature from each woman on the hangtag of a completed product. You can go online and see this woman - once you see the producer behind your purse or your t-shirt, you'll find yourself asking that very important question:

What am I wearing?

We need more active consumers to make big changes in our world. Want to learn more? Here are a few good places to start - 
Follow us on twitter @onemangotree for daily updates on these issues and more

The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli
Slow Fashioned - check out the blog & take the Slow Fashioned Pledge
Read Ethical Consumer's Shopping Guide to see how designer brands measure up

This post is part of a series about Fair Trade Federation's Nine Fair Trade Principles. The series was inspired by Using Fair Trade Principles to Empower Women in Uganda, a talk given at the Library of Congress by One Mango Tree's founder in November 2010. You can watch the video here.

Annual Back-to-School Sale! 30 to 70% off everything

Oh yes, you read that right. It's that time again - the kiddos are heading back to school, and even though Labor Day was just yesterday, there's already a nip in the air and a crunch in the leaves. Fall is coming! It's the perfect time to stock up on all those summer favorites before they're gone forever. You won't believe some of these deals - $5 wristlets, $10 weekender bags, $10 yoga bags, $5 eye pillows, $10 aprons!


And 50% off our entire Summer Handbag Collection - we know you wanted that Hobo Bag in Lakshmi - it's only $16 now!

That pocket skirt you had your eye on all summer? It's only $22.40! Wear it with tights and boots this fall!

And, remaining stock in our tiered skirt, cap-sleeve jacket, cowl neck tank, gauchos, dolman sleeve tops and perfect tanks are now 50% off! Perfect for fall layering.

We love bringing you good deals, so spread the word! Everything is on sale!

One Mango Tree Sale at Pure Citizen!

Have you heard of Pure Citizen? We've been fans for some time - it's a great website dedicated to bringing you daily deals from socially-conscious and eco-friendly brands. When Margaret at Pure Citizen (who has the best title EVER "Key Seeker of Awesome") reached out to us, we were thrilled to team up.



What's that mean for you? 30 - 80% off your One Mango Tree favorites when you shop at the Pure Citizen online shop.

And, what's more, Pure Citizen gives you the opportunity to give back as you shop these great deals - you have the option at check out to support Leaping Bunny, a non-profit that protects animals from wrongful testing, experimentation and cruelty.

The sale ends on Saturday, so hurry up and check out Pure Citizen!

xo Halle

Back to School August Giveaway

Even though I've been out of school for years, when August rolls around I can't help but think about the good old days - shopping for pencils, folders, a new lunch box. The way I see it, growing up doesn't mean you can't keep some of those old traditions... like taking a snazzy new Lunch Bag to work with you.

Lunch Bag in Cowry

Or keeping your pens, pencils and a protractor (who knows when you might need one!) in a Pretty Pleated Wristlet.

Pretty Pleated Wristlet in Cowry

So, to celebrate the Back-to-School season, we're giving away a Lunch Bag ($22 value) and a Pretty Pleated Wristlet ($16 value) to one lucky winner. Winner choose their favorite One Mango Tree print for their Lunch Bag and Wristlet.

To win this giveaway, all you have to do is help us spread the word about One Mango Tree. Here's how to do it:

1. Mention us on Twitter
2. Mention us in your Facebook status
3. Talk about One Mango Tree on your blog
   

If you mentioned us on Twitter, you're all set, if it's a Facebook or blog post, leave a comment here so we can find it and enter you. EACH ENTRY COUNTS, so the more you tweet, the more chances you have to win! Thanks for the love!

Meet Prisca

Photos taken by Nicole Daniels and cross-posted from Storm the Mighty.

Prisca also works at One Mango Tree's Gulu workshop - in fact, she runs the show. We were able to visit her home with Jenn and Kaben, an American couple who lives and works at the One Mango Tree compound in Gulu. I wish I had more photos of Prisca to share with you but she hid in the kitchen cooking for us the entire time. We went outside and played with all of the neighborhood kids, who love to spend time at Prisca and Charles house (especially now that they have electricity and a TV!).

Prisca was so sweet, it was about to downpour and she offered to let all five of us stay with her and her family for the night. Maybe an offer we should’ve taken her up on. We all drove home in the pouring rain, in the dark, over the worst potholes on a dirt (mud) road with lightening on motorcycles. Boda Brad drove both me and my friend Joelle on his bike and Kaben and Jenn were on another. I was sandwiched between Brad swearing up a storm and Joelle praying out loud behind me. Definitely one of my most memorable days in Gulu!

Check out some photos of Prisca and her family, below.

Cynthia, Prisca's daughter

Isaac, Prisca's son (left) and the kids crowd Charles, Prisca's husband (right)

Prisca, standing next to the dish-drying rack in her compound

Meet Monica

Cross-posted from Storm the Mighty, from their recent visit to One Mango Tree in Gulu.

During our week long stay with One Mango Tree we were able to visit the homes of three of the seamstresses. Our first stop was to see Adokorach Monica and her sweet boys. We sat under a tree outside of her home. The dirt path was perfectly swept, I didn’t want to walk anywhere and ruin it. Favorite moment of the day: one of the boys saw that I was excited to see the chickens and he made a crazy chicken call and they came running to him! It was a beautiful moment - I’m still working on my chicken call!

Storm the Mighty visits One Mango Tree

Cross-posted from Storm the Mighty, by Brad and Nici Daniels

One Mango Tree. A “social entrepreneurship” aiming to provide opportunity and rehabilitation for women who were victimized by the LRA. The LRA or “Lord’s Resistance Army” is a group of rebels and are responsible for Africa’s longest running armed conflict. Led by Joseph Kony, the group has terrorized East Africa causing over 2 million people to be displaced from their homes and live in military guarded refugee camps.

“One Mango Tree uses a fair trade model to provide income generating opportunities for women in impoverished and conflict-ridden areas of the globe.”

We were so excited to arrive in Gulu, Uganda to see first hand the work of One Mango Tree and these amazing women! They were so sweet and so welcoming… and did I mention talented? You can order some of their products here at their online shop.

These two lovely Mzungus (white folk) are Jenn and Kaela! We stayed with Jenn, her husband Kaben and Kaela while we were in Gulu and did not want to leave them at the end of the week! Miss you guys ;)

One Mango Tree also provides a financial class for the women to teach them to budget, save and manage their money.

And here they are… the ladies of One Mango Tree! When you make a purchase, you’ll be given a tag with the name of the woman that made that item and you can find her photo on the website!

Keep your eyes out for these new fall bags from One Mango!