2008 Woodie Awards
Fair trade store makes shopping a charitable deed
Haley Aaron
Issue date: 9/26/07 Section: Expressions
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"I was in elementary school and I asked Santa Claus for luggage and a subscription to National Geographic," she said. "I guess it's always been something that was interesting to me."
She is now a storeowner bringing adventure to Birmingham through her boutique, Sojourns. Her store currently features items from 46 different countries and visiting the shop truly feels like taking a quick trip around the world.
Kendrick wants customers to learn about the different countries and people represented by the merchandise in the store as they explore. Every item in Sojourns tells the story of its artisan and the country where it was made, and Kendrick knows all the stories.
From the smallest items like coin purses made by women in Guatemala to the larger items such as a vase made by a Bengali potter who recorded his story on the piece, each item tells a unique story. They are about struggle, hardship and hope despite the odds. Sojourns provides a place for the products and their stories.
"I wanted to own my own business but do something meaningful," Kendrick said. "I've always had an affinity for foreign places and people struggling against the odds, so I thought it was a good way to take my passions and my interests and bring something to Birmingham that wasn't here."
Although Kendrick said she feels that every city should have a fair trade store, she thinks that Birmingham is a good fit for Sojourns.
Fair trade stores and organizations work to provide fairer wages to the artisans who produce the items instead of filling the bank accounts of the merchants who sell the pieces.
"Fair trade sort of resonates with Southern values," Kendrick said. "People are always very concerned about their neighbor and as the world gets smaller, the people in other countries are our global neighbors."