One Mango Tree

Fabulous Fedora Giveaway

2012-01-18T16:25:00.002-05:00

Happy New Year, friends! After three long months in Uganda and India, I'm back home in Washington, DC. My apartment looks a bit like African and Indian markets exploded, littered with beautiful block-printed scarves, hand-carved wooden spoons, antique Indian coins, handmade puppets, sparkly elephants and camels and embroidered purses made from camel leather. Even though there are only 13 days left in January, I thought it would be fun to do a giveaway in honor of wanderlust and adventure. Nothing suits that better than our Lola Hat - the Indiana Jones-style fedora, fair trade and handmade by artisans in Ecuador.

Lola Hat in Chocolate, $68

Choose your own adventure this year! 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:

Mention us on Twitter and make sure to tag us using @onemangotree
Like us and link to One Mango Tree on Facebook - make sure you tag us using @One Mango Tree so we can see your post!
Talk about One Mango Tree on your blogand 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

It's not too late!

2011-12-18T04:39:00.003-05:00

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

2011-12-17T04:58:00.003-05:00

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

2011-12-17T01:29:00.003-05:00

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!

2011-12-04T04:01:00.001-05:00

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

2011-11-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

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

2011-11-06T03:44:00.000-05:00

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:

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!
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

2011-10-23T04:32:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-18T02:57:00.002-04:00

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?

2011-10-14T21:52:00.003-04:00

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

2011-10-12T19:36:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-11T23:42:00.000-04:00

"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

2011-10-09T19:15:00.002-04:00

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

2011-10-06T17:50:00.004-04:00

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:

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

Meet Adong Kevin

2011-10-06T00:10:00.000-04:00

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

2011-10-04T21:52:00.000-04:00

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

2011-09-28T22:09:00.002-04:00

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

2011-09-06T15:00:00.003-04:00

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!

2011-08-11T14:13:00.005-04:00

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

2011-08-11T13:43:00.004-04:00

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:

Mention us on Twitter
Mention us in your Facebook status
Talk about One Mango Tree on your blog

Meet Prisca

2011-07-19T18:30:00.004-04:00

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

2011-07-16T15:46:00.006-04:00

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

2011-07-13T12:59:00.003-04:00

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!

Sizzling Hot - our July Giveaway is here!

2011-07-08T09:40:00.003-04:00

@MommysMoments was the lucky winner of our June Giveaway - but if you missed it, don't worry, you can pick up the Party Dress at only $38 with free shipping through this Saturday, July 9th! Hurry! Now, drumroll please...

Summer is in full swing, and it's HOT! To keep one lucky customer cool, we're sending out a pair of our much-loved Sseko Sandals in our *sizzling hot* red tribal print - $42 value! Ssekos are sandals produced by a group of beautiful, intelligent young women in central Uganda that have graduated secondary school and want to continue their education into college/university. When you purchase these sandals, you're directly helping to fund and empower these ladies to become successful lawyers, doctors, and professionals. You are planting a seed. The sandals themselves are incredibly easy and the best part is that you're fully capable of creating your own, unique sandal by tying, twisting, and looping the fabric in different ways. Check out this video for ideas.

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

Mention us on Twitter
Mention us in your Facebook status
Talk about One Mango Tree on your blog

Free Shipping: Independence Day!

2011-07-04T00:06:00.004-04:00

Yeah, that's what we said! We're big fans of freedom and independence, and taking the time to really celebrate what that means. When the pool parties, BBQs and fireworks come to a close, hop online to shop your favorite One Mango Tree products - and enjoy FREE SHIPPING on every order shipped in the US. All. Week. Long.

Don't wait, because this sweet deal ends at midnight on July 9th.

Fair Trade beach reads

2011-06-29T19:04:00.011-04:00

Headed out to the beach or pool this coming holiday weekend? Might we suggest filling up your Hobo Bag or Weekender with some great reading materials?

Sporting an OMT Hobo Bag (in Ginkgo) on la playa in Mexico

Here are some of our favorites, as well as some reads we can't wait to check out during these long days of summer:

Feeling crafty? Learn more about artisans and the importance of their work:
Artisans and Fair Trade: Crafting Development - discusses the viability of artisan work to create sustainable livelihoods
Hand/Eye Magazine - the beautiful World Textiles issue is out now! (quite possibly my favorite magazine - each issue is a gorgeous collector's item!)
Fair Trade: A Human Journey - "Fair trade proposes an alternative that is based on ideas of social justice, product quality and care for the environment. ...This book is a sign of hope that another world is possible." Filled with more than 350 photographs from around the world.
Looking to inspire the activist within? Try:Half the Sky - if you haven't read this book by Nick Kristof and Cheryl WuDunn, start here. It will set a fire under you to make a change in the world.
The Fair Trade Revolution - an in-depth look at issues affecting fair trade - tension between large and small operators, real impacts of recession, fairwashing.

For wasting away hours at a cafe with a fair trade iced coffee:
Coffee & Community: Maya Farmers & Fair Trade Markets - we're told that the coffee we drink each morning can make a big difference - but what does that actually mean?A Cafecito Story - written by Julia Alvarez, this sweet little book is based on the author's experience of reclaiming a small coffee farm in the Dominican Republic.

Thinking of starting your own fair trade venture? Check out:
Global Girlfriends: How One Mom Made It Her Business to Help Women in Poverty Worldwide

I'm geeking out on the apparel supply chain - these two titles are tops on my list:
The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy
Where I am Wearing: A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories and People that Make Our Clothes

Did we miss a title? Let us know your favorite fair trade-related reads.

xo Halle

June Giveaway: Our Party Dress!

2011-06-20T22:19:00.004-04:00

Hi friends! It's officially summer tomorrow, so we decided to do a quick celebration with a *FUN* new giveaway. You only have NINE days, so hurry! Drumroll please....

We're sending out our much-loved Party Dress (in Olive) - $38 value! - to celebrate Summer's arrival. The Party Dress is part of our 100% organic cotton apparel collection. The cotton is grown on organic farms in Uganda and then knitted into super-soft, comfy knit. It's one of our very favorite seed-to-sown products. You can even see the Party Dress in Whole Foods Markets this summer (but you can only get the Olive version on our online store!).

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

Mention us on Twitter
Mention us in your Facebook status
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. We value any help we can get promoting One Mango Tree's work and sending out positive messages for our products. There are only 9 days to enter this giveaway, so get tweeting FAST! Thanks for the love!

Summer in the city

2011-06-02T15:52:00.008-04:00

Ladies and gentlemen, summer has officially arrived. So have our fun and flirty {organic cotton} summer tank tops (only $24 each!). In honor of summer, we brought together some awesome city girls in Washington, DC to show off the new tops. Keith Lane, a DC photographer, worked his magic for the shoot, even braving a warm summer rain shower.

Meet our models and check out some of their favorite One Mango Tree pieces from the shoot.

Erin opera singer, working at the Kennedy Center, wearing the Zig-Zag Ruffle Tank $24

Stephanie recently received her MA in development communications from University of Maryland, wearing the Double Ruffle Tank $24

Clare, one of DC's favorite Fuse Pilates instructors, wearing the Cowry Pocket Skirt $32

Devan, an urban planner working at the National Community Reinvestment Coalition, sporting our hand-loomed scarf $18.20

Why Should I Buy Fair Trade Products?

2011-05-23T15:28:00.005-04:00

A letter from Martina Mariani, our Social Media Specialist. Martina spent the last six months working with in Gulu and now continues tweeting and blogging from the West Coast.

Someone recently asked me why it’s important to buy fair trade. As I sat down to write my response, I thought it might be something I could share with you too.

For One Mango Tree, it’s all about our forty-seven employees. They are our focus and the reason we push on, even when times are tough. The forty-seven women who work for One Mango Tree are given an advantage. Financially, they make more than most of their fellow Acholi women and are able to better support their children and families. What's more, they are treated fairly at work, paid consistently, and deal with managers and directors who treat them with respect. They work in a healthy, professional environment and are given child-care services, school fees, and house loans.

ladies working in the One Mango Tree handbag workshop in Gulu, Northern Uganda

On top of financial benefits, One Mango Tree employees receive courses and seminars about how to save money, spend wisely, and even lessons on how to be a better mom, hone their English skills, and become more educated in politics and governmental issues.

To me, buying “Fair Trade” is important because simply by shopping you are supporting people's livelihood who wouldn't otherwise have a way to support their families or feed themselves. The fair trade system is important because by feeding into it you are committing yourself to buy things that are created through fair, legal, and humane efforts. It's similar to the “farm-to-plate” idea, but for fair trade products like One Mango Tree's, it’s usually “factory-to-closet”. When I buy One Mango Tree, I know that the person behind the product is taken care of.

Apiyo Prisca, Adokorach Monica and Awoto Margret take a tea break in the garden

I think it is important for consumers to be thoughtful about whose hands made each item purchased. How was she treated in the process of making it? Was she paid fairly? Was she even old enough to be working?

Or, is it possible that my clothes are actually hurting people?

I believe that deep down, we all want to be part of movement where people are looking out for their fellow humans, whether those people are our neighbors or somewhere far across the globe. I believe that we all want to see children getting educated, mouths being fed, and people making a happy and successful life for themselves. Instead of contributing to corruption, human trafficking, and child abuse, it is important that we give our money and support to businesses creating sustainable incomes for women and men who are working hard and being treated fairly.

Martina

What are your reasons for buying fair trade? We'd love to hear from you. Send us an email or leave a comment and let us know your reasons.

Creating opportunities

2011-05-23T15:19:00.000-04:00

In 2007, I was working for Global Youth Partnership for Africa, a non-profit that organized youth programs on conflict resolution in Northern Uganda. We were based in Gulu for a week, meeting with young people, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), government officials, and Ugandan citizens - to try to understand the roots of conflict, and how the region might realize a sustainable peace. During our breaks, I would walk with students through the central market, admiring the beautiful fabrics and the quiet whir of the foot-pedal sewing machines. Stall after stall was filled with tailors - a by-product of NGO vocational trainings. Tailoring is a very popular skill set meant to economically empower women in places like Northern Uganda.

Gulu's central market, filled with NGO-trained tailors

There was a problem here. While the market was filled with tailors, few of them were able to earn a livelihood - most of them could barely cover rent on their market stalls. Their best hope was to clothe the aid workers (like us) who spent lazy weekend afternoons in Gulu shopping the market and having dresses made.

The first principle of Fair Trade is about market connection:

Creating opportunities for economically and socially marginalized producers.

The Fair Trade Federation, the membership body in North America promoting fair trade products, defines this principle further:

Fair Trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation and sustainable development. Members create social and economic opportunities through trading partnerships with marginalized producers. Members place the interests of producers and their communities as the primary concern of their enterprise.

Auma Lucy in her market stall in Gulu

Auma Lucy was a good tailor. She had a bare stall with a sewing machine, and was trying to grow her business amongst the competition in the market. She was charismatic, and compared with most women in Northern Uganda, her English was fantastic. She took every opportunity to bring in young women who were suffering - single mothers, young women she feared might "get into trouble" - she saw herself in these women, sitting at home with nothing to occupy their time, never finishing their schooling for lack of school fee money, getting pregnant too young - or worse, contracting HIV.

the tool to change lives

On her own, Lucy struggled to make ends meet. She didn't have funds to pay rent on her market stall. She had thirteen children at home (eleven orphans) and her elderly parents to worry about. With a market connection to customers in the United States, she could really make an impact (and much-needed profit).

All women in Northern Uganda bear a heavy burden. During the conflict, they lost their husbands, sons, fathers and brothers, and are often victims themselves - forced to fight as soldiers, serve as soldiers' wives, raped and stigmatized by their own communities. Regardless of their past circumstances, any woman will tell you that when it comes time to put food on the table and send their kids to school, she will do whatever she must to pull it together and make ends meet.

The sheer quantity of trained tailors in Uganda was a curse for the local market, where customers were few. A connection to the United States market turned that curse into an opportunity - an opportunity for poor women in a region destroyed by more than twenty years of armed conflict to earn a living and create change in their lives.

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.

Using Fair Trade principles to empower women in Uganda

2011-05-20T11:21:00.003-04:00

Cross-posted from OMT Founder Halle Butvin's personal blog, Locus Amoenus

Last November, I had the incredible opportunity to give a talk about One Mango Tree at the Library of Congress. Since Fair Trade Month had just concluded, I decided to focus the talk on the principles of Fair Trade, and how One Mango Tree uses those principles to create sustainable income for women in Uganda.

The video is a long one, but it's the equivalent to meeting me for a cup of coffee to learn about how and why One Mango Tree got started. My presentation begins at 8:25. I hope you enjoy it! xo Halle

Josephine, Claire & Pamela

2011-05-19T11:00:00.006-04:00

Swamped. Underwater. Drowning in purses.

In fall 2009, after Stacey Edgar 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.

Aol Josephine. Lajaro Claire. Akello Pamela.

Lajaro Claire lounges on the front porch with one of Aber Grace's daughters

All three women were wrapped in woolen scarves, shivering in the cool Gulu rain. Pamela and Josephine were nursing their babies. 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.

Aol Josephine's adorable Jonathon

"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, Josephine and Claire would come to be a steady force within One Mango Tree. After just a few days of work, it was as if they'd always been with us. They made fast friends with the other women, and set an example with their punctuality, concentration, and consistent quality of work. Pamela's daughter Maria was terrified of mzungus (white people), and screamed bloody murder anytime I came near her. I enjoyed her cuteness from afar - Pamela always beaded her hair and tied a teddy bear to her back in the same way women carry their babies in Uganda. Eventually her fear dissipated, and she even started to shake my hand.

Pamela comforting Maria after a mzungu encounter

Josephine brought Jonathon to work every day, in a comfy cocoon on her back, swaddled with a piece of cloth. He quietly looked around the room, rarely making a peep, and always content for a nap after his feedings.

Josephine working with sleeping Jonathon on her back

This was all before Alice, our daycare teacher, and Maria is now in nursery school full time. Adong Kevin's daughter, Aber Juliet, has taken over the sassy "mzungus-are-going-to-eat-me" role. When I was in Gulu last month, Josephine and Claire were both pregnant, and getting close to their delivery dates - both the perfect picture of healthy mothers.

When I was looking through photos to use for the new blog design, one of Claire and Josephine - back when they first started with us and were working away diligently on that huge order - seemed the perfect choice.

Check out this great photo of Josephine, Claire and Pamela in traditional Acholi dress.

Photos in this post were taken by Crystaline Randazzo during her time at One Mango Tree with Momenta Workshops.

xo Halle

Adventures in sourcing: horn & leather

2011-05-17T16:58:00.002-04:00

Cross-posted from OMT Founder Halle Butvin's personal blog, Locus Amoenus

Sourcing locally is a big deal for us in Uganda. I certainly appreciate the meaning of value-add - particularly in a country where so many resources are exported raw (coffee, tobacco, tea, cotton, to name a few). Our organic apparel line at One Mango Tree boasts "seed-to-sewn," but it's at a high cost. There is only one factory transforming Uganda's organic cotton crop into knit. High school economics taught me that only one company equals a monopoly, and we're learning - the hard way - all about the impacts on pricing. Pricing issues aside, the factory doesn't have the flexibility to mix in Lycra, or to produce heathered textures. We do what we can with what we have.

factory visit with our print manufacturer, july 2010

Another reason we try to keep supply chains in Uganda is because of logistics. Uganda is land-locked, so for us, the only way to import findings (zippers, buttons, rings, etc.) is using costly air freight to bring them in. We buy zips for our bags in the local markets, but the trusty YKK brand is not available in Uganda. We often have to sacrifice quality by buying in the local market.

adding a local market zipper to a coin purse in production

As we work on design improvements on our products, naturally the conversation falls to trims - small additions we can make to the bags that add a lot of value. Horn and leather are two items in Uganda that have a lot of market potential, so Gihan and I went on a little adventure to find both.

Horn

The horn guy wasn't too difficult to find - after all there's only one of him. All of the horn bowls, napkin rings, bracelets and rings in the local markets are made by one company. On a gray, rainy afternoon we drove out to visit Charles at his workshop. We pulled in to a water-logged field, the mud sucking our shoes as we stepped out of the Pajero. Charles invited us into his office, which was in a wooden building that had been lifted up onto cinder block stilts. I expected to see the striped stockings of the Wicked Witch of the West peeking out from the foundation. We walked down a creaking, tilted hallway and into the main office, where Charles explained the set up.

"You see, the government came in and improved the roundabout here," he gestured towards the road outside.

"Most people are happy about that. But I own this land, and when they build the new road, they elevated it. Now all the runoff comes right into my lands. Every time it rains, even a little, our workshops flood and people cannot work."

We weren't able to see the workshop that day, and learned that flooding is seriously hurting the business. Weather isn't his only problem. When we asked about high prices, Charles explained that the Chinese are coming in and buying up all the horn.

"I have a relationship with the butchers here. I've been working with them for many, many years," he explained.

"I used to go to trade shows in China to sell our horn products. Now the Chinese come and buy the horn straight from the butchers - by the CONTAINER! - and take it back to China to process it themselves. And," he paused, widening his eyes, "do you know that they are undercutting my prices?! They have increased the cost of horn for me here in Uganda, and they can still make the products cheaper than I can."

Gihan and I exchanged glances. This was becoming a familiar problem. Uganda's companies all seemed to be capital poor. While natural resources were abundant, they often found that they couldn't match the prices paid by foreign buyers. As a result, raw goods flew right out of the country before Ugandan companies could add value. We faced this all the time with Phenix, our organic cotton knit producer. With a worldwide cotton shortage, the Chinese, South Koreans and others had come in to Uganda and bought up all the raw organic cotton. Instead of buying knit from Phenix, they were taking it back and processing it themselves - and then selling the final knit version cheaper than the Ugandans could. We were left with the little Phenix could produce, which came with a very high price tag to make up for these losses.

We left Charles with some sample pieces for some horn jewelry we wanted to try, and picked our way through the marshy property back to the car.

Leather

Cows are a big deal in Uganda, so you might think leather goods would be a home run. Or that we could at least find some leather goods in Uganda. Or maybe just Ugandan leather. Our leads led us to a residential area off Ggaba Road, where we found what turned out to be a mid-size shoe factory. The scale of production was impressive - someone had clearly invested a lot of money into this project, judging by the heavy machinery that was being used to make work boots, sandals and all sorts of shoes for the local market. A friend suggested that they might sell us some leather to use for bag trims.

In the marketing office, the staff pulled out rolls and rolls of soft leather dyed in pastel colors. We marveled at the flexibility - it would work very well as piping and trim on bags. Gihan asked about the origins of the leather.

"Oh, this one? It is goat. From the UK. Very good quality. How much you want to buy?"

In a country FULL of cows and butcher shops, they were trying to sell us pastel British goat leather. The only Ugandan leather they had was extremely thick black leather used for uppers on work boots. Finally Joseph, our contact and the Director, came in from an outside meeting. After a brief conversation about our needs, he sent us off to a company called Fishnet, and we assured him that we'd be back if we ever got into the business of shoe-making.

Continuing on our journey, we headed back across the city into industrial area, to a compound not five minutes from our own apparel workshop. I'd heard that Fishnet sold leather, but Gihan was insistent that they only sold nets for catching fish. I enjoyed giving him a hard time about the huge detour we made with the shoe factory visit, when the leather place was our neighbor.

We walked into the main building, the facade tiled with undersea scenes. The reception area was empty. Gihan peered over the counter and waved me over excitedly. It was 330 in the afternoon, and the receptionist was sleeping. Not at her desk, but on an actual mattress next to her desk. She had a pillow and blanket, and was clearly sound asleep. We had to suppress our giggles as we walked down the hallway to find someone conscious to help us out.

I found a woman in the first doorway, labeled "Marketing Department," and walked into her office. I asked if we could find the person in charge of selling leather samples. She rolled her eyes dramatically and gestured to a chair outside her office. There was a one foot by one foot hole cut into the wall adjacent to her desk, with a chair sitting next to it. Apparently the protocol was that information could only be shared through the "window." Once I was in the chair, she perked up -

"Yes, hello. Welcome to Fishnet. How can I help you?" as if I hadn't met her just a second before.

I played along "Yes, thank you so much. We are looking for the person here who sells leather." Gihan stood in the hallway suppressing his laughter at me talking through this literal hole-in-the-wall.

After much back and forth, we found ourselves in a small room lined with shelves - shelves stacked high with high-quality, Ugandan leather. We bought a hide and drove the few minutes back to our workshop, content to add two more materials to our list of Ugandan-sourced supplies:

Organic cotton knit
Woven cotton prints
Banana leaf
Seeds
Horn (could be made into buttons, toggles, loops/rings, etc.)
Leather (could be made into straps, trims, or whole bags)

xo Halle

May Giveaway: Signed copy of Global Girlfriend!

2011-05-05T16:31:00.003-04:00

Friends! Our May giveaway is here, and we're so excited to share it with you. Global Girlfriends is the story of how Stacey Edgar started the biggest fair trade business in America from a $2,000 tax return and a passion to help women. Stacey's story introduces you to women artisans all over the globe (India, Nepal, Uganda!), and shows how powerful change can occur when women buy fair trade, women-made products.

Global Girlfriends is a very important story for One Mango Tree - we met Stacey in August 2009 when she came out to Uganda to visit One Mango Tree - chapter 11 is all about Stacey's visit, and the subsequent work we've done together, starting up our 100% organic cotton knit apparel line with her generous support and guidance. It's our link with Global Girlfriend that has taken One Mango Tree products into Whole Foods, Target.com and fair trade boutiques across the US.

Stacey was sweet enough to give us a signed copy of her book. Since you (our customers) are the ones who drive the success of ventures like One Mango Tree and Global Girlfriend, we want to give that copy to you!

To win the signed copy of Global Girlfriends, help us spread the word about One Mango Tree, our newest products, and what we’re up to. Just mention us on Twitter, Facebook, or in your blog (and then send it to us) so we can enter you in for the running to win a free book! If you just can’t wait, in high hopes of winning it, order it now and let us know what you think!

Summer 2011 Lookbook

2011-05-05T14:33:00.003-04:00

Check out some images of our new Summer 2011 Collection, with gorgeous photography by Lauranne and modeling done by Ashlee, a volunteer at Invisible Children in San Diego. Enjoy!

Our Summer 2011 Lookbook

Hello Summer

2011-05-03T20:12:00.004-04:00

Okay, so spring was apparently a bit of a drag on the East Coast. I heard it's been raining in Columbus, Ohio, for four straight weeks... but as they say "April showers bring..." I missed out on all the cruddy cold weather - I was in Uganda, and lucky enough to watch the dry earth come to life as rainy season showed its face (in Uganda, we rejoice when it rains). We were busy working on One Mango Tree's Summer 2011 collection, and it's here - available for pre-order now!

start shopping

What does pre-order mean? You order and pay now (take advantage of free shipping May 3 & 4), and you'll get these awesome new products as soon as the shipment touches down in the USA - we expect to start shipping May 11-12. The horrible riots that have been going on in Uganda these past few weeks delayed our shipment - we were unable to get downtown to the Ministry of Tourism and Industry, which is where we pick up the paperwork needed to ensure our apparel shipment is duty-free (under the African Growth and Opportunities Act, or AGOA).

We're expecting the order to ship any day now, so go ahead and get your hands on these amazing new bags, skirts (yes, those adorable tribal skirts) and Party Dresses in three new colors!

'Things We Love' Fridays: Tribal Prints!!!

2011-05-03T13:31:00.000-04:00

So, lucky for YOU – guess what the number one style across the boards by everyone from Free People to Nordstrom is right now? That’s right, you guessed it, TRIBAL PRINTS! We’re so excited about our soon-to-be-released Spring Collection – bursting with color, patterns, and a strong ethnic feel.

Check out these beautiful prints from designers such as Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tracy Reese, and Dries Van Noten from one of our favorite style blogs, Fashionandotherstuff.com.

As stated by the socialvixen.com: “Primal and tribal print is a spring summer 2010 trend that “dances to the beat of a tribal drum with modern, African-inspired pieces.” Almost every designer includes some exotic influences in their spring summer 2010 collection.”

And lastly, one of our favorite stores LF’s ode to Native Prints, endorsing tribal influences and fearless fashionistas.

Get ready to see new releases by One Mango Tree - bags, clutches, and aprons, as well as a new line of incredibly colorful skirts, shirts, and dresses. Pre-order launches this week!

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-03T10:10:00.004-04:00

At One Mango Tree, work and mothering are often one and the same. Alice does her best to care for the smallest kiddos, but moms will pop in and out of the workshop to feed their babies and give them some love and attention. Just like moms the world over, the One Mango Tree tailors put their children first, doing everything they can to keep food on the table and school fees paid.

Betty chases naked little Obama, who escaped after his bath

Lawill Margret holds Ogen Rwot Alex, just after feeding him lunch

Anena Betty and Obama, her youngest

We know that moms all over the world work so hard to see their children thrive and succeed. We're spending this week honoring the One Mango Tree ladies, and of course thinking of our own moms and everything they've done to make us who we are. Are you ready for Mother's Day?

We're going to sweeten the deal and give you FREE SHIPPING on orders of $30 of more - you have two days to take advantage of this offer (ends midnight May 4th) before Mother's Day. Get your mom a token of appreciation - and there's no better way than to support the moms at One Mango Tree!

Mango Season Semi-Annual Sale!

2011-04-21T15:15:00.004-04:00

Every April, everyone's eyes are on the trees in Gulu, waiting for the little mangoes to ripen from soft green to golden yellow. The day has come, and right along with it is The Mango Season Semi-Annual Sale. That's 50% off your favorite handbags, aprons, headbands, yoga bags, lunch bags, eye pillows, and more! Check out our sale page to see all the deals!

Just about everything is on sale!

We're clearing the shelves for Spring/Summer 2011, which will hit our online store very soon. Stay tuned!

Things We Love Fridays: Sseko Sandals

2011-04-09T10:53:00.000-04:00

Today's "Things We Love Fridays" is coming on Saturday because of a four-day power outage the city has decided to bestow upon it's citizens. You can imagine how thrilled we all are.

Last year we joined up with Sseko Designs to begin supporting their endeavors and promoting one of the cutest products we have seen in Uganda: Ssek Sandals!

The women who make these shoes work in Kampala, about five hours from our workshop in Gulu.

We love these sandals because they’re adorable, fair trade, and so versatile. You can see the video on our blog of different ways to tie them, or make up your own way. They can be easy and comfortable or intricate and trendy. The possibilities are endless.

The money from these sandals goes towards the empowerment of women through education. By purchasing these sandals you are helping Uganda up their count of female doctors, lawyers, and professionals.

We are currently selling them for $42 on our website.

April Giveaway: Coffee Break Hobo Bag

2011-04-07T07:11:00.002-04:00

Get ready friends! This month’s giveaway is our newly updated handbag, the "Coffee Break Hobo Bag" (a $32 value!). We have added new details {cute twisted handles} and changed to a more stylish shape we know you’ll love {big and slouchy}. It’s a perfect, comfortable, throw-over-your-shoulder bag for every day, and it's neutral enough pattern to wear with anything and everything. The print is inspired by the fabrics found in African markets, and we make the fabric locally from organic cotton grown in Northern Uganda.

Hobo Bag, in Coffee Break, $32

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

Mention us on Twitter
Mention us in your Facebook status
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. We value any help we can get promoting One Mango Tree's work and sending out positive messages for our products. Thanks you so much in advance for all the love you send our way this month!

Things We Love Friday: Scented Eye Pillows

2011-04-02T02:01:00.004-04:00

What is a scented eye pillow, you ask? And why do you need one? Let me tell you. Weighted eye pillows help relax the eye muscles, which then triggers a relation response in check muscles, jaw, chin, and neck. They are perfect for savasana, the final resting pose of your yoga practice, or for use instead of messy cucumbers or wet tea bags that are also very good for relaxation, aging, stress, and wrinkles.

Our eye pillows block out light, and relax your muscles. They are ideal for meditation, massage therapy, resting fatigued eyes, and napping. When combined with essential oils they offer a therapeutic value perfect for physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual health.

They can be kept in your dresser drawer, infusing a fresh scent into your intimates or tank tops. Ours are so cute they can be left out in your bedroom as a reminder to take those daily minutes of meditation and rest – so important for vitality of the whole body.

The weight is gentle and relaxing, the fabric is soothing and calming, and the texture is soft and luxurious. They are easy to wash, and scents are refillable as needed.

They are filled with a chamomile and lavender scent, picked straight from an organic herb garden in Uganda.

Smell is the strongest sense we have and millions have experienced the therapeutic value of aromatherapy. Our eye pillows are currently on sale from $15 to $10.50! Order your One Mango Tree eye pillow today and enjoy the fragrance and feel of relaxation.

The proof is in the matooke

2011-03-24T06:15:00.002-04:00

Cross-posted from OMT Founder Halle Butvin's personal blog, Locus Amoenus

Dinner at Prisca's has become a routine for One Mango Tree visitors and interns. The first time you go, she'll cook for you - after that, it's time to pitch in. International Women's Day is a national holiday in Uganda, so we accepted the invitation to lunch at Prisca's, knowing full well that we'd be put to work as soon as we arrived. We headed straight into the family kitchen tukul, the last evidence of the traditional grass-thatched housing on Prisca's property.

inside Prisca's kitchen

Kaela got to work cutting matooke, while Martina and I provided moral support. Cutting matooke is a much harder job than it seems, as the tough green bananas don't peel like the familiar yellow ones, and they ooze a sticky sap.

Prisca & Kaela peel matooke for lunch

Before we arrived, Prisca had already made her now-famous fried chicken, dodo with simsim (greens with ground sesame paste), and sweet potatoes. With the boiled matooke, we had a ladies-only feast. We filed out of the kitchen and into the two-room brick house where Prisca's family currently lives.

watching Al-Jazeera, drinking refrigerated sodas

The living room got a fresh coat of robin's-egg-blue paint over the holidays, and Charles (Prisca's husband) connected the house to the Gulu electric lines. We watched Al-Jazeera on their little TV, and Prisca commented on Qaddafi and what she thought might happen with the conflict in Libya. The new chest refrigerator hummed in the corner, and Prisca presented us with a selection of cold sodas.

success doesn't come to you... you go to it

What seem to be normal, mundane details of a ladies lunch are actually quite extraordinary. When I started One Mango Tree, I wanted to see quick results - big changes in the tailors' lives, and fast. I'm learning that fair trade's proof comes with time - sustained, regular income is what moves people out of the poverty trap, and for good. Charles only works sporadically on construction projects - Prisca is the family breadwinner. Through careful savings and budgeting, the incremental improvements she's made have translated into big changes for her family.

the front door of the new family home

In between the kitchen tukul and the two-room home, Prisca and Charles built a large brick home. She used her 2010 savings to put in the roof, floor and window casings. Even while building their home, Prisca and Charles are now able to make spending decisions based on comfort, not necessity. Their family crowds the TV each evening to watch the news and local programs (Prisca loves the Spanish telenovelas dubbed into English - they are a big hit here). They have meat for dinner almost every night, and usually invite friends and family to join in the feast. Prisca cuts up cold pineapple as a treat for the kids when they come in from playing after school. Even the matooke we ate is telling - it's a cuisine choice from southern Uganda, and very expensive to buy in Gulu. It's one of Prisca's favorite treats - one she can now easily afford.

Fabric shopping: back to our roots

2011-03-23T07:47:00.002-04:00

Cross-posted from OMT Founder Halle Butvin's personal blog, Locus Amoenus

Since I started One Mango Tree, East Africa's {broken} supply chains have been a pretty consistent source of wonder and frustration.

supply chain problems got so bad I had to journal about them

I followed the sad history of African kitenge fabric, from its Dutch origins to bales of imitation Chinese piece-meal versions flooding the local markets. As the business grew, I tried out working with a small local fabric print workshop. I watched in fear and horror as the mismanaged business collapsed under the weight of our order. I went bigger, working with the only vertically integrated textile manufacturer in Uganda. The echo of their laughter persisted for months when they price gouged us on a critical fabric order. 2,000 meters of printed organic cotton fabric means nothing when you're clothing the South Sudanese military.

new skirts, made with Cowry print - need enough fabric to make a zillion!

So, after 4 years of trying to find the perfect fabric source, I'm still searching, and trying (really, really hard) not to source directly from China. In the meantime, I decided that we'd just go back to our roots this season, sourcing bright kitenge in 12-yard pieces from the local vendors in Kampala.

Lisa haggling with a fabric vendor

Author and artist Lisa Sonora Beam accompanied me downtown to help choose fabrics. I lived vicariously through the exhilaration of her first boda boda ride as we wound between matatus and afternoon traffic. When we arrived at Nakivubo Mews, I was shocked to see an empty construction site where Nalugo Traders used to be. I heard a woman calling out, and turned around to see Margret - one of the many vendors from Nalugo Traders - beckoning me from across the street.

stacks of kitenge - this is Lakshmi

I was amazed to see how the market had changed - the cotton, color-saturated kitenge is less common these days, replaced by synthetic silk-like fabrics, laser-cut lace in yellows and teals, and lots of glittery trims and big plastic buttons. It didn't take nearly as long as I thought to find the big vendor - today it's an over-loaded booth called Wax Africa. He buys from the Chinese bales and sells to the rest of the market vendors.

this season's source

We went nuts over the colors, deciding on five busy and bright prints - Lakshmi (red with a distinctly Indian vibe), Cowry (like the traditional Congolese, white, black, blue and green batik, with parallel lines of abstract cowry shells), Nalubaale (purple!), Mandala (one of the oldest kitenge print designs, recreated in turquoise and lime), and Gingko (a deep blue with cream and black abstract gingko leaves). When we were sure we'd bought just about every piece in the market, we packed it up and headed out, excited to start creating.

pack it up!

While this return to market fabrics is likely a brief reprieve from dealing with the big manufacturers, I really enjoyed the return - the boda boda ride, the haggling, the crazy crowded market, the clouds of exhaust from the neighboring taxi park, the almost comical insistence by vendors that "these fabrics are from CONGO!"

xo Halle

Cleveland Area Intern Needed!

2011-03-20T08:22:00.003-04:00

Calling all fair trade enthusiasts in the Buckeye State! Our US office is looking for a Sales & Events Intern. Could it be you? Here's the job description:

Sell fair trade products and meet others involved in the fair trade movement!

We have a lot of upcoming sales events in Ohio in 2011, and we need your help in making them a success! Be a part of increasing One Mango Tree's presence in Ohio and elsewhere by identifying opportunities to sell products at events, conferences, etc. Learn the ins-and-outs of running a fair trade business! Responsibilities include:

Identifying, preparing for and staffing sales events in Ohio and elsewhere in the United States*
Assisting US Business Manager with packing and shipping web orders
Attending local and regional fair trade educational events (conferences, etc.) on behalf of One Mango Tree
Writing periodic blog / Facebook posts on attendance at sales and educational events

*Note: this position may involve travel to staff events across the US, with all related travel expenses covered by One Mango Tree.

The position is volunteer part-time, with hours agreed upon by intern and US Business Manager. The ideal candidate will be both passionate and knowledgeable about fair trade and One Mango Tree's business model and practices. She/he should be enthusiastic about promoting One Mango Tree's mission and selling One Mango Tree products. Previous sales experience is a plus!

Interested candidates send a cover letter (tell us why you want the gig!) and updated CV to info@onemangotree.com.

Things We Love: Mata Traders

2011-03-18T10:11:00.000-04:00

Mata Traders are an inspiration to us 1. because they are fair trade and 2. because their clothes are gorgeous! Mata Traders empowers women economically through teaching them skills and giving them work in an attempt to transform communities and combat poverty. All of their clothing are fair trade and handmade by women in India and Nepal. They use traditional art forms and skills to create incredible products and a better world for the artisans.

The founders names are Maureen and Michelle. All of their products are designed in Chicago, where they live, and then made in local village communities. Their desire is to empower women and to be transparent with their customers about where the products are coming from.

One of their main goals is to design products that make a women look and feel GREAT -- and they do an excellent job with that. Its a full circle, one women in America empowering a women in a developing country by buying the dress and a woman in India empowering the women in America because it makes them feel great. A reciprocating relationship.

Michelle and Maureen are understanding about the need to make a competitive product and allow the fair trade factor to be the "icing on the cake" allowing the customers to feel extra good about what they are purchasing.

You can also see them featured on Ebay's World of Good!

Spread the Love! Our March Giveaway is HERE!

2011-03-10T08:50:00.002-05:00

We know it’s a few days into the month but we finally have our new cross-over bags up on the website and ready for sale! In celebration of this accomplishment we are giving one away for free!

To enter the drawing, all you have to do is mention us on Twitter, Facebook, or your blog this month to help us spread the word about the work One Mango Tree is doing and the quality of our products. Any love we get helps more people to learn about us and get involved with what we are doing. We are so appreciative for your support and contributions to the company.

Cross-body Bag in Sipi Falls print $22

One lucky winner will receive a small, sweet package from our ladies in Uganda with one of our *brand new* SIPI FALLS CROSS-OVER BAGS ($22 value) tucked inside. Named for the three beautiful falls just a few hours away from Gulu in Uganda the vibrant blues and geometrical design makes for a perfect and comfortable sling over your shoulder bag. Oh, and if this deal couldn't get any sweeter: shipping's on us!

Sneak Peak: New Fabrics for the Spring Line!

2011-03-10T08:05:00.001-05:00

We can’t wait to start creating. Be on the look-out for our new bags, clutches, coin purses, aprons, yoga bags, and more!

GINKGO – This fabric is named after a living fossil of mainly extinct trees.

LAKSHMI – This vibrant, red fabric was named for the goddess of health, wealth, wisdom, and fertility -- the beloved of India. Wherever you go in Uganda you will find merchants, store owners, and prominent Indian people.

COWRY – This name comes from the small white shells used for ceremonial purposed in Uganda, found easily in the market places and homes of the villagers.

NALUBAALE – This is an another name for Lake Victoria, signifying the importance and scarcity of water in Uganda.

MANDALA – The name for this one comes from the Sanskrit word for circle, used in Hindu and Buddhism. Most of the religious art takes a sacred Mandala form.

Showcasing: Ajok Lucy

2011-03-04T09:22:00.000-05:00

This is Ajok Lucy. She is one of the 8 women who got a new bike this week. During the war in Uganda she was abducted and lived in the bush. Lucy has three children and cares for her two younger sisters as well. She is 22 years old. She comes from a small village about an hour away from Gulu called Odek. Life was really different for her before she came to work at One Mango Tree.

When Lucy lived in Odek she was a farmer. Every morning she woke up early to dig, usually with a baby strapped to her back. In Odek she traded her harvests for a few other small things like salt, sugar, soap, clothes, and sometimes, if she was lucky, school fees. The biggest problem in Odek was getting enough money for school fees and getting clean water. Lucy hopes to earn enough money to buy her own sowing machine and build her own house. She also wants to buy a cow and chickens for fresh milk and eggs. Her dream is to learn how to make clothes and sell them.

A Word About Our “Fair Trade” Model Policy:

2011-03-02T02:33:00.001-05:00

As a company committed to following a fair trade model, we are committed to seeing that no unjust action is involved, that there is no child labor, and that each person in the creating process is paid a fair wage. Equally, we want to see that our customers are paying a fair price for the products they receive.

But we believe in following the fair trade model, not just because we want you to pay a fair price. It is the way we do our business, where the objective is not “profit-at-any-cost”, but helping women in Uganda rise out of war-tarn communities and families to escape poverty and promote sustainability.

We look at business as a tool to support people, by providing training to artisans, helping our women improve their skills, strengthening their business skills through loans and savings education and practice, and strengthening their social impact.

Our hope is that our commitment to Fair Trade will inspire you to get involved with One Mango Tree, support our women by buying our products and spread the word through Twitter, Facebook, blogs, word-of-mouth, or whatever outlets you may have. It is our joy to provide you with handmade products directly from our women in the workshop in Gulu and that as you enjoy your products you will spend time on our site getting to know each of the women who handcraft your items.

Global Girlfriends by Stacey Edgar, Available April 12th!

2011-02-15T08:13:00.001-05:00

An incredible book uncovering an extraordinary movement one woman with big dreams accomplished. An entire chapter of her book is devoted to the makings and livelihood of One Mango Tree.

Stacey Edgar, the founder of Global Girlfriend, a company that markets hand-crafted apparel, accessories and jewelry, started her venture in 2003 with a $2,000 tax refund. Using the Internet and her network of friends and relatives, she began with goods from women’s cooperatives and showed her fair-trade, eco-friendly, women-made products in living rooms and church basements and at street fairs. With great gusto, she tells how she grew the business with hard work, good connections and the generous help of her many talented girlfriends.

To get the products she needed, the good-humored and seemingly tireless author journeyed to India, Nepal, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Uganda and Kenya, meeting with women, learning what they could do, what materials were available or could be obtained and teaching them how to maintain quality and create items that would sell in the American market. Edgar paints warm portraits of many of the remarkable women she met, but she also provides grim statistics—of the 1.3 billion people living on less than $1 per day, 70 percent are women—and some grim pictures of the extreme poverty of rural India and the monstrous sex trafficking of young girls in Nepal.

The company that started small eventually became a multimillion-dollar enterprise selling its goods in stores across the United States and online and providing a livelihood to thousands of impoverished women around the globe. Edgar’s message is that one committed person can take actions that have a major impact on the lives of other individuals. To help others follow her lead, she concludes with a five-point summary of the lessons she has learned from her experience (Kirkus Review).

Its marvel cannot be expressed better than by Three Cups of Tea author, Greg Mortenson:

"Global Girlfriends is an inspiring book by an inspiring woman. Stacey Edgar takes us on a journey from her suburban American basement to some of the most impoverished areas of the world with humor, humility, and an unwavering sense of purpose. Her story proves that one person's drive, passion, and commitment can make a real impact in the struggle to eradicate global poverty and empower women around the world."

A Politician Comes to Visit

2011-01-31T13:00:00.002-05:00

At 9:30 a.m. on Friday morning the women organized a campaign to hear an independent parliament candidate named Jokkene Timothy Okee voice his opinion on the political happenings of Uganda.

We were so lucky to be in a place where we could accommodate for his campaign, and for the women to know that their opinion matters.

Mr. Okee himself was there to speak to the ladies and even our construction workers stopped to listen. He had an introductory speaker open for him and told me in English he wanted to explain his views to me after he talked to the women in Luo. His slogan was “A New Hope” and he spoke in a very serious and calming tone as he enchanted the women with his ideals about a better tomorrow. Although I couldn’t understand his words I noticed that a few minutes into his speech his pace sped up and he began to speak with passion and fervor. The women listened in rapt attention; sometimes laughing, sometimes murmuring, often nodding their heads along. He was a funny, and a good and confident speaker but I was just happy the women had this opportunity to listen and choose.

He told me after about his connection to Partners Worldwide and his goals to make sustainable jobs for Ugandans, and help the people to vote for parties not personalities. He told me about the hardships of allowing an illiterate (statistically 31% of Ugandan adults are illiterate), poor, manipulated, and uneducated people group to vote and his goals to create literacy before anything else. His goal was to build the capacity of the people.

Be Our Valentine & Free Shipping!

2011-01-31T12:43:00.005-05:00

It's already that time of the year - hearts are invading the world! We happen to think Valentine's Day is pretty great - a perfect time of year to shower love on those you care about most. If you're flying solo this year, it's the perfect time to treat yourself! We're offering free shipping on orders more than $30, from now through Valentine's Day.

We still have our 30% of Winter Sale going on, so combine the free shipping and discounts for great deals!

Here are some of my personal favorite Fair Trade Valentine's Day gift ideas:

I tried this AMAZING chocolate at Green Festival this past fall, and I'm hooked. Fairly traded and $4.25 a bar, I STRONGLY urge you to just spend $45 and get the 12-pack. It's the perfect mix of salty sweet goodness.

Is your sweetie a yogi? Get her a combo One Mango Tree gift set of a Yoga Bag (on sale $19.60) and yummy-scented Eye Pillow (on sale $10.50) in her favorite colors. At $30.10 for the set, you'll get free shipping too!

send roses with even more meaning

Sending flowers? Check out this great deal at your local Whole Foods - support farmers and give back to their communities in Ecuador. It's a great time to get educated about where our flowers come from, and the impact you make when you buy ethical flowers!

For a great gift guide of all fair trade items, check out our friends at Fair Trade Trends - they put together a fantastic list! Bookmark their blog - they always have fantastic fair trade gift ideas!

Happy Valentine's Day - we hope that your February 14th is filled with love!

xo Halle

Winter Sale!

2011-01-12T15:57:00.005-05:00

It's cold outside, and depending on which part of the US you live in, the snow is really coming down. I don't know about you, but my favorite thing to do in that kind of weather is to make some {fair trade} coffee and snuggle up with my laptop, watching the flakes fall out the window.Here at One Mango Tree, we're already thinking about spring, so it's a perfect time to offer all of you laptop/coffee/snuggler friends out there some great deals on One Mango Tree merchandise. We've pretty much marked down our whole product line - at least 30% off! It's a first for our 100% organic apparel collection. Our stock is getting pretty low, so make sure you snag your favorites before they're gone! Check out some of the great deals below:

Cap-Sleeve Jacket
{was $38, on sale $26.60}

Perfectly styled for winter when layered with a tissue turtleneck and a chunky scarf (have you seen our friends' ShopMayu's beautiful fair trade collection from Peru?). Best part is you can still wear it when the weather warms up, layered over a soft, gauzy tank, it's perfect for the office and casual enough to sport with jeans too!

Old Barn Handlo omed Scarf
{was $26, on sale $18.20}

Our favorite! These gorgeous, 100% cotton hand-loomed scarves are the product of a partnership with Wawoto Kacel, a weaving cooperative in Northern Uganda. All of the colors are hand-dyed {and beautiful}, and since the scarves are light-weight cotton, you'll be able to keep on sporting them right into the spring!

The Betty Clutch
{was $26, on sale $18.20}

You better hurry to snag one of these! The Betty Clutch is hand-woven from dried banana leaves, and it became a fast favorite this season - we only have a few left, and at this price, they are bound to disappear. Also made by weavers at Wawoto Kacel, we're really proud of the eco-friendliness of this piece - the banana leaves are gathered at our artisans' home gardens - a no impact fashion statement!

Stay warm and happy shopping!

xo Halle

One Mango Tree Unwrapped

2011-01-04T19:15:00.003-05:00

We love giving gifts - hence our monthly Twitter giveaways. But if there's one thing we love more than giving gifts ourselves, it's seeing others give One Mango Tree to their loved ones. Check out a few photos below of some lucky people who found One Mango Tree packages under the tree this year.

Clockwise from left: @MarySick gave a Weekender, Market Tote and Scarves, @JenDT's brother gave her a Kilara Spiral Necklace, DC yoga teacher Scott Carson gave his daughter a Shirred Cowl Neck Tank, and @MarySick gave her grandma a Peace Purse.

Did you receive One Mango Tree this year? Send a photo to info@onemangotree.com, or post on Twitter and tag us @onemangotree.

xo Halle

A belated holiday Gratitude Greeting

2011-01-03T19:36:00.004-05:00

Sorry we're late, friends. It's already the New Year - we hadn't noticed, because we haven't stopped celebrating! This year's theme was definitely Growth & Gratitude. Even with our current economic climate, One Mango Tree continues to grow - so much so that it's often a struggle to keep up! We're excited to make 2011 about Building & Balance (with some continued gratitude in there, for good measure), continuing work on our beautiful products and providing incomes that change lives.

Check out this beautiful short video put together by our much-loved Lauranne Boyd, who just reached San Diego safely {after a nation-wide road trip} and is starting her new work with Invisible Children. We miss you, Lauranne!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! from everyone at One Mango Tree from Lauranne Boyd on Vimeo.

So what, exactly, are we grateful for? Check out just a few of our 2010 accomplishments:

Welcoming the latest One Mango Tree ladies - nine beautiful new ladies from our referral program with International Organization for Migration - they started training in January and we welcomed then on-board as full-time staff in April, growing our Gulu team to 30 tailors!
Opening our Lil' Mangoes Daycare. A long-time dream for the ladies - we opened an on-site daycare for their small ones (we started out with 9 pre-nursery-age children and the number quickly started to grow...), and hired Alice, our full-time daycare teacher, who showers the lil' mangoes with love and learning every day.
Supporting education. We paid out more than $4,000 in school fees scholarships in 2010, supporting 84 children to stay in school!
Learning our status. Partnering with Visions in Action, we offered free HIV Testing and counseling to our staff on-site at our workshop.
Saving, saving, and more saving! We worked with Respond ReNU to help the OMT ladies create a Village Savings and Loan Association. They set records for saving at their very first meeting! The ladies also participated in a 6-week course on financial literacy, helping them to develop their own family budgets and savings plans.
Shipping our first apparel order. We partnered with Global Girlfriend to create 100% organic cotton knit apparel line, creating new skills and new jobs! A few months later, we added our own small collection, to rave reviews from our customers!
Whole Foods! Target! We saw our products for the first time by two of our favorite large retailers, showing their commitment to fair trade and helping to spread the word about One Mango Tree!
Moving up. We closed out the year with a big move, to a nicer compound and workshop for the ladies.

Thank you so much for your support in 2010 - it is your continued commitment to One Mango Tree and fair trade that enables our business to grow, and for great stories to be told by our ladies in Gulu. You are a part of that story now, so please share it with pride!

Stay tuned for our 2011 goals!

Spread the Love! Our New Year Giveaway is HERE!

2011-01-03T19:04:00.003-05:00

We're packing up the December giveaway right now (a brand-spankin new Black & White Yoga Mat Bag and yummy Eye Pillow set) to @littlelindseyy to help get her 2011 yoga practice off to a joyful start! Seems like a good time to announce a fresh giveaway to kick off this fabulous new year!

Drum roll please.....

Spread the LOVE about One Mango Tree this month and you'll be eligible to win a Nassarine Clutch (a $28 value)!

We love the Nassarine in part because of the story behind it. We were looking for a more labor-intensive handbag to keep the ladies busy in Gulu (busy = more earnings!), so naturally patchwork was one of our first ideas. Nassarine (see photo, below) is in charge of cutting all of our patterns, so we named this clutch in her honor - an homage to the smile and giggle she let out when we told her how many small squares we needed her to cut from our scraps! This clutch is truly a work of art {and love} from our heart to yours.

Nassarine, chalking out a pattern

Here's how you can win it:

Step ONE: Simply tweet or blog about us! Link this this giveaway.

Don't tweet? Mention us on your blog or on Facebook instead!

Step TWO: Just tag us with @OneMangoTree (Twitter) or leave a comment here if you're Facebooking or blogging about us. Spread the love! There's no limit to the number of entries, so tweet away!

"Shifting" Compounds in Gulu, Uganda

2011-01-02T09:17:00.002-05:00

One Mango Tree has officially moved compounds. We are so happy with our new place. Prisca and I had been harping our new landlord like crazy to make sure everything was “shift-ready” before we moved in. The women worked very hard to get everything transferred over. Where in America we would have hired trucks and moving men and bought boxes and bubble wrap, the women came in the morning and piled everything on their heads and walked the dirt road between the two compounds to start the transfer. The truck and the men did eventually show up but the women were still the number one workers.
Their work ethic BLEW MY MIND. They knew the task at hand and had it fulfilled quickly, no complaining or extended rest period. Their resourcefulness and perseverance was inspiring and I knew it could only come from the skills and mind-set they had developed from working for One Mango Tree and knowing the feeling of providing for their own needs.
The move went smoothly. We were surrounded by painters, cleaners, and guard men as we moved in.
They were still working on the paint job for the outside and I think in honor of the company that was moving in they painted our house a beautiful shade of ORANGE, like the inside of a mango.
As night fell over our new packed out house the Sunday night rubbish burning began and the air filled with smoke.
The last thing the landlord said to us before he went home, after the down payment was given and the moving was finished was, “One more thing, see this dog here, he has no other home. He is yours.” And thus, we were given Pinker, the lovely guard dog of our new orange One Mango Tree house.

Last day! Order Monday for Holiday Delivery!

2010-12-19T22:25:00.003-05:00

Friends! We're still offering free shipping for the holidays, and it's not too late to do your shopping with us. Order by Monday, December 20th, to ensure pre-holiday delivery. We also received our last minute shipment from Uganda, so stock up on scarves in all colors, and our awesome jewelry!

We look forward to wrapping up your gifts with love - just let us know at checkout if this is a gift and we'll include a hand-written note, and make sure that the receipt only comes to you!

An Afternoon with Nagawa Grace

2010-12-15T08:22:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I spent the afternoon with Nagawa Grace, one of the women who works for One Mango Tree, and her family. I was able to instantaneously see the positive effects that her work at One Mango Tree was able to bring to the community. Her confidence, and the way she interacts with her children, exudes such a nature of security and strength that I know the entire neighborhood can feel.

Her compound is right near ours so we walked over in the afternoon and stayed until it got dark. Lauranne had taught her Skip-Bo earlier in the day and when we came over she was still playing! We were able to walk around the compound and meet all of her family and neighbors. Some women were pumping water, others washing, others cooking. We went and talked to the men who were resting from harvesting the G-nuts (African peanuts) for a few minutes and they engaged us in a very philosophical talk about America and why it’s extremely important for them to go there.

After a while we settled onto some mats on the grassy highland and began endless rounds of Skip-Bo. More and more people joined each round. Others came and sat near-by with cards and played also. Sitting with us was a family of 5 grown sisters. They were all so beautiful and full of life and hysterical. The Acholi people love to be silly and love it when you are silly too. They love for you to dance and joke and make a fool out of yourself. They call it being “stubborn”. As the sun went down our night came to a forced end but we were sad to leave. Some of the teenage boys walked us back to our house on their way to watch the football game at a local place. We waved goodbye with promise of spending time together again soon.

Spread the Love! Our December Giveaway is HERE!

2010-12-12T13:44:00.004-05:00

Friends! We have a sweet gift for you this holiday season - all you have to do is spread the word about One Mango Tree. One lucky winner will receive an extra special gift from us - one of our Yoga Mat Bags and a matching Eye Pillow (winner chooses the color!) - a $43 value!

Our beautiful Yoga Mat Bag

Our deliciously-scented organic Eye Pillow, filled with Lavender, Lemon Balm and Marjoram goodness - herbs grown on a beautiful organic farm on the shores of Lake Victoria. 30 seconds in the microwave and you'll have instant {warm & cozy} stress relief!

Here's how you can win:

Step ONE: Simply tweet or blog about us! Link this this giveaway.
Step TWO: Just tag us with @OneMangoTree (twitter or facebook)

Do this and you'll be in the running to win a Yoga Mat Bag & Eye Pillow!

(there is no limit to entries, so share the word and spread the love!)

Changes in Gulu: Handing Over the Keys

2010-12-12T08:13:00.004-05:00

Hello! Happy Holidays! My name is Martina and I am the new voice for social media here in Gulu, Uganda. I live at the One Mango Tree house where the women come everyday to work. I attended Westmont College in Santa Barbara and earned my degree in English. When I was home for the holidays one year I saw a presentation by Watoto about the work being done in Uganda and the effects of war, poverty, and disease on the country. I loved the vision of cultivating a generation of leaders to lift Uganda out of its crisis and create a sustainable country.

Starting with the dream of coming to work with Watoto, I eventually made it out with no certain organization in mind and was able to find a children’s home to work with. Hearing about possible opportunity opening up at One Mango Tree I applied online. After I arrived in Uganda I was contacted by One Mango Tree and hired to take Lauranne’s place as she continues her journey. Lauranne was here for almost a year and has given me such a wealth of knowledge! She has taught me so much about the Acholi people, the language, and what our organization is serving to do in this city and around the world.

I love living where the women work, visiting them in their homes and seeing the good their work at OMT has done in their lives. They are able to feed their children and provide for the basic needs of clothing, schooling, and shelter. My highest hope for my time at OMT is only that I would get individual time with each of the women who work here and be able to invest deeply into their lives. I want to help them learn to save their money, become even more English literate, and become fully self-sustainable. I'm excited to share this journey with you.

Christmas Blessings,
Martina

Don't miss it: Cleveland Whole Foods Event this Weekend!

2010-12-03T10:54:00.002-05:00

I'll be at the Whole Foods on Cedar Road this Sunday afternoon, so come check out the selection of One Mango Tree products and learn more about our efforts in Uganda!

Whole Foods Market
13998 Cedar Road
Cleveland, Ohio

Afterwards, be sure to stop off at Revive for some holiday shopping!

The Making of our Hand-loomed Scarves

2010-12-01T05:24:00.012-05:00

One of our absolute favorite new releases this Winter is our One Mango Tree Hand-loomed Scarf!

In a partnership with Wawoto Kacel, a fantastic local cooperative, we were able to collaborate on a collection of uniquely dyed cotton scarves that will surely keep you warm this holiday season! Wawoto has a terrific staff trained with attention to the highest quality. The cooperative was started in 1997 by a group of HIV positive women. Today it provides employment and skills-training for more than 150 vulnerable individuals. Here's a behind the scenes look at the MAKING OF these beautiful, limited edition scarves:

The scarf starts out as cotton yarns, which are bleached, dyed, hung
to dry, and spun into brightly colored rolls.

It takes hours to set each piece of thread on the loom but finally, voila!
The artisans work their magic and the rainbow of beautiful, unique colors is
woven into a wide swath of fabric. This raw fabric is then brought to the One
Mango Tree Workshop to be cut into scarves, with edges sewn into neat seams.

Each one is unique and stunning, especially when you take a closer look! We couldn't be more thrilled with the final product and we're so happy to have partnered with Wawoto Kacel this holiday season. We look forward to collaborating again in the near future to continue empowering the surrounding community of northern Uganda.

SHOP THESE SCARVES HERE.

Re-usable Shopper Tote only $10

2010-11-17T17:52:00.004-05:00

As I was walking to the market this afternoon, I was completely in awe of the fall colors around me. This past weekend was surely the peak of fall foliage for Washington, DC, but today's breeze made it seem like the air was filled with color. Not unusually, the beauty made me think of Uganda, and the soft golden light just before sunset in Gulu.

One of our newest products, the Shopper Totes are inspired by fall's incredible color, with sweet messages that really speak to how we at One Mango Tree feel about fair trade. My personal favorite features a beautiful golden fall leaf which reads:

"Empower a woman and you'll change the entire world."

That belief is pretty much at the core of what we do at One Mango Tree. At only $10, our Shopper Totes make great gifts - the office holiday party, a friend moving into a new place, etc. Each tote makes sure we're keeping the One Mango Tree ladies working, and always creating new jobs for other women in Northern Uganda. Help us get the word out by buying, sharing and carrying one of our One Mango Tree Shopper Totes - and then when people ask about your bag, you'll be part of the story too!

xo Halle

Just spread the love to win our NOVEMBER giveaway!

2010-11-12T05:31:00.008-05:00

Friends, we've got a NOVEMBER GIVEAWAY for you!
Just in time for the Holidays...

Our Winter 2010 Handloomed Scarf in Eggplant

One lucky winner will receive a small, sweet package from our ladies in Uganda with one of our *brand new* EGGPLANT HAND-LOOMED SCARVES ($26 value) tucked inside. We're not ashamed to say we've been drooling over it for months! Each is unique, limited edition, and woven right here in northern Uganda. So, if you don't manage to grab one before they run out, you can win yours' right here. Oh, and if this deal couldn't get any sweeter: shipping's on us!

Enough of the sweet talk, here's how you can win!

Step ONE: Simply tweet or blog about us! Link this this giveaway.
Step TWO: Just tag us with @OneMangoTree (twitter or facebook)

Do this and you'll be in the running to win the apple of our affection, our One Mango Tree Winter 2010 Handloomed Scarf in Eggplant!

If you can't tell, we pretty excited to send this sweet thing to your doorstep...

So get to tweeting!

DC Downtown Holiday Market

2010-11-10T15:34:00.005-05:00

Mark your calendars, DC shoppers!

We'll be in Washington, DC, this holiday season! Stop by our booth at the DC Downtown Holiday Market, 12 - 8 pm December 13-14 (that's Monday and Tuesday). The market is on F Street between 7th and 9th, near the National Portrait Gallery. If you work downtown, it's a must-do December lunch break. We'll have all of the gorgeous One Mango Tree products, and some freebies to boot! Make sure to tell friends, and let us know if we'll see you there - check out our Event page on Facebook!

Check out some of the great photos from past Downtown Holiday Markets - nothing better to get you in the holiday spirit - lots of caroling, hot drinks and twinkly lights - not to mention awesome products. Our favorite, The Red Persimmon will be there too!

xo Halle

'Empowerment' made real.

2010-11-10T10:32:00.006-05:00

Over the past six weeks, our ladies have completed an incredible Financial training course and have begun their own Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA). Fancy terms aside, it's one of the many beautiful ways that their incomes from sewing and creating are being multiplied and yet another way that YOUR purchases are transforming lives here in northern Uganda. Simply put: empowerment is truly being made real at One Mango Tree... read further to hear the exciting news!

In the span of these six financial trainings, our ladies have saved over ONE MILLION shillings (about $500) as a VSLA group. AMAZING! We were told this is pretty extraordinary for a beginning group... so proud of the ladies and excited to see how their savings will continue to empower their futures.

AWESOME!

xo lauranne

Visitor Spotlight: Hilary Dell

2010-11-09T13:39:00.011-05:00

All week, we've been so thrilled to welcome a dear friend back into our midst that we have to share it with you.

Hilary Dell is an extraordinarily-loved past One Mango Tree volunteer and an awesome fashion designer/buyer for our friends and partners at Global Girlfriend. Before working full-time for Global Girlfriend and traveling around the world working with groups of artisans, she spent a summer living and working with our ladies here at the Workshop in Gulu, Uganda.

I wish we could've captured the faces and squeals of the moment Hilary entered the Workshop for the first time in over a year and a half. Because of the war and the plethora of NGOs meeting all different needs in northern Uganda, many aid-workers come and go... few returning to embrace the friendships they once made. For Hilary to return, to embrace the women with hugs and laughter, to sit with them and teach them about the new designs they'd be sewing was tremendous for them - and awesome to watch.

Needless to say, it was a fantastic week! Hilary, we were so happy to have you here and we can't wait for you to return! (We'll have your favorite 'Stoney' soda awaiting you upon arrival!)

xo lauranne

OMT Gives: Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation

2010-11-08T16:47:00.006-05:00

Katie Couric, honored at the CCBF Breakthrough Ball, received a One Mango Tree bag!

Our tote bags for the Ohio Fair Trade Expo were such a big hit, that word spread about One Mango Tree's promotional bag business. Shortly after the Expo, we received a call from the Children's Cancer & Blood Foundation - an organization that raises funds to improve treatment for children with cancer and blood disorders. Each year the Foundation holds a gala benefit called the Breakthrough Ball - this year honored several activists, including Katie Couric. Attendees raised more than $1 million for research, and went home with a beautiful One Mango Tree tote bag! Check out the pics! We're honored to have been a part of supporting this awesome cause!

Breakthrough Ball attendees sport their One Mango Tree tote bags!
Want to see One Mango Tree bags at your event? Contact us at info@onemangotree.com.

FEATURED: Dallas Clayton + An AWESOME World

2010-11-04T09:40:00.009-04:00

We know we're not in the business of children's books or even childrenswear (as of yet!) but we think every human being should read this book. Dallas Clayton is a fabulous author who's been traveling the country with the belief that children and people everywhere should rekindle the ability to dream - really dream - about the world, our lives, and how whimsical they can be if we let them.

So, here's our ode to Dallas and the movement of dreamers he's encouraging to make the world a better place by loving the people in it. The heart of this book is why we at One Mango Tree do what we do - we're dreaming of a better life for those who deserve it. We want to be dreamers of big dreams and we want to empower others with the opportunity to dream big dreams here in northern Uganda.

IDEA: For the Holidays, why not wrap up a One Mango Tree handbag and a copy of Dallas' book "An Awesome World" and give it to a dreamer near you? The best of both worlds - idea and action.

Take a look at the entire book on his website.

xo lauranne

The Power of Encouragement

2010-10-27T05:28:00.011-04:00

"I got my bag and I love it! Those women
are so talented. My support is forever."
- Cheryl from Florida, USA

You know, it's tremendous the effect that encouragement can have on an individual. Just think about it... has there been a monumental person in your life who is always cheering for you, someone you can count on to lift you up when you need it? It can transform an entire workplace when the employees are motivated by belief in their abilities to succeed rather than fear of making a mistake.

We want this to be true now more than ever with our hard-working ladies here in Uganda. They need encouragement just as much as the next individual. Recently, we decided to jot a customer's awesome review on the ladies' chalkboard to see if it could be a motivating factor.

We couldn't believe the response; because they're so far away from the US and our customers, they hadn't even heard a real specific review of their products. The women burst into a choir of cheers and claps, as if someone had just won the lottery. Seeing sincere smiles and laughs on the faces of our ladies is one of my favorite joys of working at One Mango Tree. It makes it all real, acknowledging the beauty of the human emotion and living life with them.

In a culture that has experienced so much oppression and discouragement, these small acts of love on behalf of our customers create sweet, sweet moments. If you have a comment or review you'd like to share with our ladies, simply leave your comment here! We promise we'll share it with them!

xo lauranne

Ohio Fair Trade Retrospective

2010-10-25T16:54:00.005-04:00

I had a great time kicking off Fair Trade Month in Ohio! I was lucky enough to be part of a group interview on NPR talking about Fair Trade in Northeast Ohio - a pretty controversial topic in this part of the country, as the inevitable question arises - is buying fair trade a luxury most people cannot afford? Some callers raised some great questions - list en to me, Jacqueline DeCarlo (author, Fair Trade: Beginner's Guide), Lisa Dunn (of Revive) and Julie Verdon (of Ten Thousand Villages) talk about fair trade's role and importance in light of tough economic times in the United States.

Before the weekend, I took a quick trip out to Revive's original store in Cleveland Heights and picked up a sweet pair of Indigenous gloves to brave the Ohio climate.

On Saturday, October 9, my Mom (and our awesome Business Manager) headed out to John Carroll University for the Ohio Fair Trade Expo.

Staffing the One Mango Tree booth at Ohio Fair Trade Expo Marketplace!
I'm wearing our dolman sleeve top in cherry and our NEW hand-loomed scarf in eggplant.

Everyone loved the promotional tote bags we donated to the event - more than 200 people running around showing off One Mango Tree's beautiful work! They were a hit!

I loved participating in panels - here I am with Alia Kate, founder of Kantara Crafts during Faces of Fair Trade. I also participated in a panel focusing on the Environment, where I spoke about the challenges and rewards of sourcing organic cotton fabric for our products.

I hope you're enjoying Fair Trade Month! Remember, Every Purchase Matters!

xo ~ Halle

Our October GIVEAWAY!

2010-10-22T09:15:00.005-04:00

Friends, we've got some exciting news for you. We have a new giveaway up our sleeves in celebration of Fair Trade Month!

We want to make sure you have the opportunity to win our *brand new* fair-trade BETTY CLUTCH! You'll be one of the first to own it. It's a beautiful, sweet and sturdy clutch intricately handwoven from local banana leaves here in northern Uganda. We've been drooling over it since it arrived and we can't wait to see who will receive it! All you have to do is:

(1) Mention and link this giveaway on your blog, your Twitter, or your Facebook page (and be sure to include @OneMangoTree)! When you've done this, simply comment below to let us know!

This giveaway will end on November 1st at 10:00am. You're not limited to entries, just spread the love and let us know about it! Winner will be selected at random. Shipping is on us, packaged with love and care, sent complimentary to your doorstep!

Spread the love and we'll announce the winner here on our blog and twitter!

Employee of the Month

2010-10-21T10:24:00.005-04:00

We just began a sweet new monthly recognition program: One Mango Tree's Employee of the Month! The recipient is someone who's shown outstanding character, who's helped co-workers, who's gone above and beyond to bring unity and quality to One Mango Tree. Each month, they'll recieve an official certificate and 10,000 shillings as a bonus to use however they like. We're pretty excited about it!

This past September, our beloved Akwero Eunice (recognize her from our Fall 2010 photoshoot?) was chosen as our first recipient. She has a contagious joy about her and a willingness to make sure the impossible becomes possible. She comes in early, leaves late, is always laughing and joking with those around her, and even volunteered to help model for us in her spare time. She chose to re-invest her 10,000 shillings in the One Mango Tree Village Savings & Loans Association! Talk about a kick-butt woman.

To be honest, these will be quite difficult. We have so many terrific ladies that are consistently doing incredible work personally and professionally, that I can't even predict who will be chosen for October.

Stay tuned and we'll announce who the ladies have chosen in early October!

From the Workshop: Photo

2010-10-06T09:26:00.006-04:00

Today, the ladies had a really sweet opportunity to be photographed. We can't spill the beans just yet but we'll definitely share more later.

For the shoot, they were to wear traditional Acholi-wear like this kikoyo wrapped with an iridescent band around the waste to accentuate the hips. This is what many women wear to weddings, celebrations, parties, and all sorts of community gatherings. With so much modern technology and culture making it's way across gulu, it was humbling and exciting to see our ladies tap into their own personal roots...

More updates coming soon!

Message from Earth: Organic Matters

2010-10-04T17:30:00.003-04:00

Check out this brilliant digital short put together for Farm Aid 25 on October 2. Does organic matter to you? It certainly matters to us.

We'd love to hear why you buy organic, or why you don't. Start the conversation!

National Yoga Month + 6 Fresh Finds

2010-09-28T14:04:00.001-04:00

Whether you're a beginner or a guru, in a final hoorah for September (National Yoga month!), we want to share some of our favorite (some made by our ladies!) ethical finds that will leave the world a better place with your purchase. So get to stretching and bring in the Fall with our six fresh yoga finds!

1. Our new organic cotton gaucho pants (made fair-trade by ladies in uganda), 2. Gaiam premium sticky yoga mat (latex-free), 3. Kor One hydration vessel, 4. 'Relax' Eye Pillow (see how they're made!), 5. One Mango Tree yoga mat bag (made fair-trade with organic cotton), 6. "The Essential Rumi" book of poetry

In the words of Rumi and one of our favorites:

"Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground."

WEEK 2 of Savings & Loans

2010-09-24T07:51:00.004-04:00

The VLSA group is alive and kickin'! Today, the ladies met for the second time with Stephen (remember him?) and the Village Savings & Loans Association took form for the very first time. The laughter is still coming, by the way!

They received an official blue safe with three keys and a sweet One Mango Tree logo to collect weekly savings and loans safe. They also elected women who would hold chairperson, secretarial, treasury positons, etc. Stephen said that this is the most he's seen a group save at the first initial meeting. Our ladies are working it!

More photos to come!

The Making of Relax & Energize Eyepillows

2010-09-23T12:11:00.013-04:00

She is a beautiful, strong woman that only speaks when she has something important and positive to say. However, she's also that quiet one that you'd never expect to crack the jokes that make all of us laugh. We love her and we're excited to introduce you to her... Meet Josephine.

When life is too much, put on some relaxing tunes, lay down and plop on a One Mango Tree eye pillow. These are sure to take you right from stress-face to bliss-land. Josephine and a handful of ladies worked on our Fall 2010 eye pillows today and we wanted to show you the making of.

The ladies measure and fill our eye pillows a sweet mixture of rice and organic herbs like lavender, lemon balm, marjoram

To be honest, I've never really had any sort of friendship with an eyepillow but when they were making these, I couldn't help but feel happy. I'm telling you, they smell good. I mean really good... in a subtle way.

When the size is right, they take them to the sewing machine for a last stitch...

On goes the One Mango Tree label and...

Voila! A sweet gift. Pick up a few and keep them around for a lazy day, a birthday, heck... any day! Always an excuse to relax and reflect. (P.S. Josephine stood so happily and patiently while I tested every tall stool in the workshop [and nearly fell to my death] to take this photo. We told you she's awesome!)

TGIF + Weekly Happenings (Sept 13th-17th)

2010-09-17T17:36:00.004-04:00

1. Nassarine cutting fabric for a new fall order. Get ready, it's coming your way! 2. Each of our women receives a bicycle after 9 months of employment. Because many of them live in the villages miles away from our workshop, it's a tremendous help. 3. The ladies had their very first microfinance training with Stephen of Respond Renu. 4. We visited George and our friends/partners at Wawoto Cacel to see progress on the brand new fair-trade hand-loomed scarves we'll be launching for the Fall/Winter seasons!

It's truly been an INCREDIBLE week at the office. We're exhausted but full of hope. So many exciting things lie ahead. We're preparing booth designs for a handful of conferences and can't wait to get all our of new organic bags and apparel to your doorstep and into your closet. That's all! Expect lots more next week...

Love from all of us here in Uganda!

xo Lauranne

From the Workshop: New Program!

2010-09-16T05:01:00.025-04:00

The women are exclaiming the most joyful laughs and we couldn't be more excited for them. Stephen, an Acholi and financial guru working for Respond Renu (Restoring Northern Uganda), is here for his very first microfinance training with our ladies and it's surely an exciting day. For six weeks, they'll be students again, growing in knowledge and expertise about how to become financial rockstars.

What's the impact of Financial Literacy? In the developing world, a woman who earns her own income in a male-driven society immediately earns social worth and respect; her community sees her as strong, powerful, and inspiring. That's how our ladies are viewed in their communities. Now take that same incredible woman and teach her how to save that money, how to give loans to others within her community, and how to forward-think about her finances. The impact of work in a developing country is multiplied exponentially when locals are able to take financial control of their future. This is a great, big (and possible!) dream for many of our women (remember Lucy's story?). It's an exciting day when their faces light up during a microfinance training. They're excited to learn and it's changing who they are and who they can become. The future for their children is getting brighter by the day. Powerful.

So, today, the women are beginning their very own Village Savings and Loans Association (VSLA), a microfinance group that comes together to pool their savings in order to have a source for lending funds. The women will make savings contributions to the pool and can also borrow from it. "VSLA represents a way to provide basic access to financial services, thus improving control over their future."

In the words of the awesome Adong Kevin... "The training was so, so nice! *gives thumbs up* You know, I'm dreaming to buy land and build a home someday soon. Stephen is going to teach us how we can do it... we are so happy."

It's a powerful day for the future of One Mango Tree. And friends, you're surely a part of this change. Let the joyful laughing resume and expect more updates soon!

From the Workshop: Organic Yoga Bags

2010-09-15T16:21:00.012-04:00

It's hilarious trying to explain the concept of yoga to our women... mostly because it's just not apart of the Acholi culture. Someday soon, I really hope Halle can give all of us a big yoga lesson. It'd be the best day of my life watching them giggling, trying to contort their bodies in crazy positions. By the way, did you know that September is officially Yoga month?! We'll have WAY more on this topic headed your way but in the meantime...

Anena Betty was working away on this today! It's one of our new organic cotton Yoga bags (inside out and just about to be finished) that we'll be launching this Fall. We figured we'd give you, our beloved blog readers, a special sneak peak! Stay in 'downward dog' (that's a position right? halle's the expert...) and we'll keep you updated on its' release!

Can anyone say happy early christmas shopping for the yoga-loving friends in your life?!

xo lauranne

Steve Jobs: "How to Live before you Die"

2010-09-13T08:07:00.006-04:00

In today's society, one that embraces being always on the go and pursuing the next best thing, we've learned that it's really valuable to stop and reflect on the beauty and simplicity of the stories that make up our lives. At One Mango Tree, it's what keeps us going; it keeps us patient and creative. Here's a fantastic, staple speech that Steve Jobs, founder of Apple, gave at a Stanford Commencement in 2005. It's brilliant and inspiring, absolutely worthy of sharing.

How do his words ring true in your own life?

TGIF + Weekly Happenings (Sept 6th-10th)

2010-09-10T07:04:00.018-04:00

(1) Eunice working on one of our sweet new lunchbags (to be released soon!), (2) The opening of the *brand new* Little Mangos Nursery, (3) Tea time is a must, (4) Halle's headed to the big and much-anticipated Fair Trade Futures Conference in Boston, MA today!

Check out these kind words that the Conference wrote about us!

The ladies are OFF today for a public Ugandan holiday so the weekend begins early! Celebrate! Have a great weekend, everyone! If you're at the FTFC Conference in Boston, come say hello and sport the new OMT tie or headband that came in your goodie bag!

The day has come!

2010-09-06T10:21:00.013-04:00

Since we began, Halle has dreamt of opening a nursery for the babes of our women and as of today, we're excited to announce that its' become a reality!

In a culture where most youth receive little to no educational attention, our vision is to create an environment that celebrates and encourages learning from a very young age. Our women can better spend their time working and enjoying one another while their babies are safe, away from machines of any sort. We were also able to hire a new One Mango Tree employee, Alice, who we'll affectionately call our 'superwoman.' She's single-handedly taking on all of the babes (and she's great at it!), playing educational games, and giving them a head start with speaking/writing in english and the local language. If anyone has an extra cape, can we borrow it?! We think she deserves one.

Seeing the doors open for the 'Little Mangos' nursery is certainly a day worth celebrating and we owe a big thanks to Halle's mother and father for all the dreaming and energy they put into this nursery! They painted hours upon hours of their visit so we could collectively make this a reality. Joe and Cona - a big thanks for all the hard work and love you both poured into this!

We hope you'll celebrate alongside us and I'm sure you'll see plenty of entertaining photos and videos from this nursery very soon...

Now that the women have less distractions, they'll have more time to sew your bag! Buy a bag and share the story, exponentially multiplying and spreading the One Mango Tree impact on the ground here in Uganda, in the states, and across the world.

xo Lauranne

Creating a Fair Trade Future

2010-09-05T13:56:00.002-04:00

After a few years of getting One Mango Tree organized on the ground in Uganda, we're really excited to hit the pavement in the United States and spread the word about Fair Trade. I've just returned to DC and the calendar is already full of One Mango Tree and fair trade goodness. The first stop will be Boston, for the Fair Trade Futures Conference September 10-12.

Earlier this year, we were thrilled to get our acceptance letter to Fair Trade Federation - the leading organization of fair trade businesses in the United States. Every five years, FTF holds the Fair Trade Futures Conference - an enormous opportunity to bring together businesses, non-profits, advocates and individuals interested in fair trade - more than 750 people who are passionate about fair trade determining its future.

This year One Mango Tree will be there, both participating in the sessions and in the Fair Trade Marketplace which runs throughout the weekend. Participants at the conference will be receiving a One Mango Tree headband or necktie in the official goodie bag! I'll be reporting during and after the conference, so stay tuned!

xo Halle

"Go crazy!"

2010-09-03T07:05:00.009-04:00

We made some time at a staff party recently to snap a brand new staff photo of the women!

So, we introduce to you the ladies of One Mango Tree: mid-laugh, mid-jump, mid-wave. All unique and beautiful women being changed by economic empowerment.

Top photo: (left to right) Prisca, Betty, Pamela, Margret, Grace, Gladys, Concy, baby Jonathan, Josephine, Grace, Irene, Eunice, Nassarine, Margret, Concy, Santa, Lucy, Betty, Margret, baby Maria, Claire, Jenet, Grace, baby Sarah, and Morine.

These are the faces of women that will sew your handbag with love.

P.S. Did you hear, yet? Tweet and spread the love to win a Weekender!

Just spread the love to win our giveaway!

2010-09-02T10:53:00.011-04:00

Who doesn't love to win things? We're having a 'Back to School' September Exclusive Giveaway and you're invited to join by tweeting or blogging about our stellar ladies. Could it get any easier?

Step ONE: Simply tweet or blog about us!
Step TWO: Just tag us with @OneMangoTree (twitter) or reply to this post with a link to your blog post and you're good to go.

Do this and you'll be in the running to have one of our ladies sew you a *brand new* Fall 2010 Weekender! It's not even on our website yet... that's right!

If you can't tell, we pretty excited to send this sweet thing to your doorstep...

So get to tweeting!

National Yoga Month + 6 Fresh Finds

2010-09-01T10:58:00.013-04:00

1. Our new organic cotton gaucho pants (made fair-trade by ladies in uganda), 2. Gaiam premium sticky yoga mat (latex-free), 3. Kor One hydration vessel, 4. 'Relax' Eye Pillow (see how they're made!), 5. One Mango Tree yoga mat bag (made fair-trade with organic cotton), 6. "The Essential Rumi" book of poetry

In the words of Rumi and one of our favorites:

"Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss the ground."

VIDEO: Behind the Scenes

2010-08-31T15:29:00.003-04:00
Here's a sneak peak at our brand new photoshoot for our Fall 2010 collection:

Behind the Scenes: Fall 2010 Collection

2010-08-30T15:31:00.005-04:00
This week, we had our Fall 2010 collection photoshoot! We were incredibly excited for the day to come, we packed up everything we needed, and were thrilled to find such a beautiful location. Imagine spontaneous rain spurts (in uganda, it's currently the rainy season so you're never quite sure when to expect a downpour) and chasing away chickens as they attempted to peck at our products.

The models in these photos are two of our awesome women, Concy and Eunice. It's really humbling to see these products come full circle as Concy and Eunice poured their hearts into producing this apparel line. A big thanks to the wonderful Stefanie Bammer (who works locally for Purse of Hope) and Halle, our modest founder, for being such a great sport (isn't she beautiful?!) after we begged her to model.

You'll see the entire shoot when our Fall line launches!

Stefanie goofing around during the first shoot

Keep your eyes peeled - behind the scenes video is on its' way!

Our favorite man...

2010-08-25T06:21:00.006-04:00
is here today!

Every so often, we have the delight of seeing Faustino's face. He fixes things. Mainly, sewing machines and although he's not here everyday, he's an important part of keeping One Mango Tree flowing smoothly.

Interview with Sass Brown, author of Eco Fashion

2010-08-25T03:07:00.010-04:00
How could you forget a name like Sass Brown?!
With a distinctive resume boasting time as a self-proclaimed fashion designer, a professor at the Fashion Institude of Technology in New York, and a fashion sustainability researcher, Sass knows a thing or two about ethical fashion. It's her desire to see others grasp and support eco fashion. We particularly appreciate her focus on the "range of community and indigenous support cooperatives bridging the gap between traditional craft and high fashion." She'll be releasing this beautiful new book Eco Fashion, published by Laurence King Publishing and it's hitting shelves in September (you can pre-order through Amazon.com now!)

Pierce Mattie PR did a stellar interview with Sass recently discussing her views on eco-fashion, international efforts, and her greatest sustainable finds.

On writing this new book, she noted:
"...despite the standard and success of many eco labels, I felt they still weren’t known by many students entering the industry, or for that matter professionals in the main stream fashion arena and hoped that the book would act as a means of exposing their work to a wider audience."
On the books' content, sustainability myths, and featuring global eco-fashion efforts, her publishing company includes:
"This book shows the range of companies making a difference in the area of sustainable design in fashion, exploding the myth that sustainable design is bad design, or at best basic design, by highlighting the range of companies producing desirable and well-designed apparel and accessories with a conscience. It not only demonstrates the range of products available around the globe, but explains the stories behind them and the communities they support, as well as showing how and where they make a difference."

(Read the FULL INTERVIEW...)

Get ready... World Humanitarian Day + FREE SHIPPING!

2010-08-17T16:22:00.018-04:00
Celebrate with us as fair-trade continues to transform the lives of women in northern Uganda and across the globe!

For the first time ever, in celebration of World Humanitarian Day and as a thank you for supporting our women, we're giving FREE SHIPPING to everyone that orders between this Thursday and Sunday (Aug. 19th - Aug. 22nd)!

That's FOUR days to get free shipping with all our *brand new* organic apparel, handbags, sandals, aprons, headbands, and other fair-trade goodness. All to celebrate World Humanitarian Day, which commemorates the work of humanitarian aid workers - first responders who protect life and health and ensure respect for human beings in conflict and post-conflict zones.

In Northern Uganda, this meant years of support from the United Nations, International Organization for Migration, international donors and countless organizations who tirelessly supported the millions of displaced Acholi who lived in displacement camps (like many One Mango Tree staff) during the conflict. While the security situation in Northern Uganda is greatly improved, today we're thinking about others in the region who have been affected by the LRA, and the humanitarian aid workers who are there first to assist and respond.

Celebrate with us in support of the life change we're seeing in northern Uganda and across the world. Be a great friend and share this!

xo Lauranne

FEATURED: Ethical Knitting @ Mayu

2010-08-13T09:04:00.008-04:00
Meet Kate Robertson. She began Mayu, a sweet and socially-conscious organization that is empowering artisans in Peru that produce these beautiful scarves and hand-knit hoodies/shawls (pictured below). Mayu is fair-trade certified (bam!) and celebrates ethical production.

Through Mayu, local Artisans are being given the opportunity to earn fair wages and become more independent while doing what they both enjoy and excel in - knitting. It's phenomenal to see the grassroots efforts across the globe - from Uganda to Peru - that aim, with humility and intentionality, to lift up local artisans. Kate, I bet we'd be great friends!

She has a fantastic story behind how she got to Peru and met the artisans she's currently working with. We encourage you to learn more about Mayu, how the products are made, and the ethical cornerstones of the organization!

In fact, as of today Kate is having an awesome giveaway you should know about! You can win a Mayu fair-trade Alpaca Hoodie (worth $180). See all the details here.

One of our biggest shipments yet.

2010-08-12T11:16:00.002-04:00
The ladies have abandoned their sewing machines for the past few hours to pack for our AWESOMELY massive shipment that leaves tomorrow with all our brand new organic handbags and goodies! This teamwork is just beautiful... and sodas for everyone in celebration for it's success!

Get ready because they're coming your way!

xo lauranne

Fall in Love

2010-08-12T09:36:00.009-04:00
Our 100% organic {exclusive} Fall 2010 fabrics are here! The ladies are hard at work turning these fun fall fabrics into handbags (and wrap skirts! and cute little blazers!) for your endless enjoyment.

Straight from the inspiration boards - here's where the prints and colors come from:
Black & White - always a classic, we thought it would be fun to turn this market print into a simpler version of itself in a timeless combo of black & white
Shiva Swirls - East Africa boasts a tremendous number of Indian influences - Shiva Swirls pulls from this contribution to eclectic urban African culture - the light blue swirls are reminiscent of Shiva, the Hindu deity found so many shrines throughout the region
Sipi Falls - far to the east of Kampala, Mt. Elgon stands in it's glory, rich with volcanic soil and shaded groves of coffee - Sipi Falls plays on the watery dance of the waterfalls of the same name that cascade down Elgon's slopes
Coffee & Cream - thanks to Uganda's natural wealth of good coffee and some excellent entrepreneurial skills, coffee shops are popping up all over the country, and East Africa is developing a cafe culture
Which one do you like the best?

Retailers, you can find our entire fall line available through Global Girlfriend - contact stacey@globalgirlfriend.com to carry One Mango Tree in your shop!

Down Home Fair Trade

2010-08-12T06:51:00.003-04:00
Ohio or Bust! I'm originally from Ohio - born in Cleveland, 6 years of university work at Ohio State University in Columbus before heading to DC and Uganda. My family - mom, dad and brother - are all still there. For this fall's One Mango Tree road trip, I'll be spending a lot of time in Ohio. October will kick off with a Starfleet show (that's my dad's band), followed by the Ohio Fair Trade Expo on October 9. I can't think of anything better than a week of rock-n-roll, autumn leaves and kicking off Fair Trade Month in the Buckeye State.

The Ohio Fair Trade Expo is sponsored in part by one of my absolute favorite fair trade advocates - Lisa Dunn, of Revive Fair Trade. Lisa amazes me with her boundless energy and passion for bringing fair trade to Cleveland. The success of her TWO fair trade stores (one on Lee Road and the other at Legacy Village) is astounding - and a true testament to her ability to rally people around social and environmental causes. She has an incredible eye for fashion to boot.

At Ohio Fair Trade Expo, One Mango Tree will also have a table, and we're donating super-cute organic cotton totes (made by our ladies!) with the Expo logo for all the attendees. The Expo will be at John Carroll University - if you're in Ohio on October 9, I hope you'll join us for this great day of promoting fair trade!

FEATURED: TRaid.

2010-08-11T05:56:00.011-04:00
Get a load of this fantastic organization: TRAID is a charity working to "make the nations unwanted clothes matter." At One Mango Tree, we appreciate people who are smart and creative in ways that are not only sustainable... but also generous. At TRaid, they set up recycling banks all over the UK and they collect clothing; after sorting, they resell the best in their shops with the goal of giving away the profits. They've funded over 3 million dollars in the past ten years for international projects fighting inequality and exploitation in the global textile supply chain. Their hope is to establish environmental sustainability in some of the world's poorest communities. The creativity and resourcefulness at work here is just phenomenal.

And in case you were wondering, 'TRaid' stands for Textile Recyling for Aid and International Developing. We encourage you to take a look at the specific projects TRaid is supporting. Giving truly changes everything... but we must be intentional and do our research if we want our giving to truly impact lives in a sustainable manner.

Learn more and check out their website here.