Let Us Serrv One Another

The Welcome Mat has many products from artisans around the world, distributed by many fair trade companies. One company in particular does not just provide products from artisans in localized places such as India or Kenya, but actually empowers an entire network of artisans on a global scale. This company is called Serrv, and while the name may be humble, their impact is mighty.

Believe it or not Serrv is over sixty years old (making it older than the fair trade movement itself). It began with church relief workers after World War II and has since grown into a $9.5 million fair trade network. In addition to their primary goal of eradicating poverty and improving quality of life for their artisans, Serrv also works to employ women as well as supports development and education. The name originally stood for "Sales Exchange for Refugee Rehabilitation and Vocation," but since their outlook and purposes have expanded since WWII, they embrace the name for what it stands for in itself; service to one another.
Serrv supports and empowers artisans in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Americas in at least 35 different countries, and in addition to buying and marketing products Serrv also helps with things like product design, and technical training to help their artisans gain economic self-sufficiency.

Each artisan has a beautiful story, and it would take more than our little blog could handle to tell them all! But here are just a few of the companies making a difference in people's lives thanks to Serrv.

• In Swaziland, Africa. Tintsaba is making a difference in the lives of women and their families by providing them with more than just an income. Tintsaba provides training in literacy, business, and health education, as well as a mobile homeopathic clinic treating rural groups suffering from HIV/AIDs.
• VillageWorks of Cambodia was started by the Girls' Brigade of Singapore, a Christian, non-profit organization working to improve the lives of women in South East Asia. The name itself is meant to express the companies focus on work done by small village artisans using their own indigenous techniques and materials. They even make special use of recycled materials for their handbags and wallets.
• Sarajevo Phoenix of Bosnia-Herzegovina is an exceptionally inspiring group. Bosnia-Herzegovina, formerly Yugoslavia, was ravaged by the Balkan war in the 1990's. Sarajevo Phoenix employs Bosnian women-Serbs, Muslims, and Croats to help them rebuild the lives they lost in the war. What makes this so significant is not just that they are being helped in this way, but that the company is supporting the development of a multi-ethnic society built on healing the wounds of war. The Serbs, Muslims, and Croats can work side by side, and live side by side.

Serrv is a company certified by the Fair Trade Federation, Green America, and the World Fair Trade Organization. They are good for the planet, and good for people, empowering, and serving artisans across the globe.