One World Shop

As you can see, we have the new and improved One World Shop website up and running! Hurrah!

We have a new mailing list set up with ymlp.com so you can subscribe and unsubscribe whenever you please.  It is much easier to use than our previous system so we should be able to send you updates about our latest stock and offers more often than before. If you are on facebook or twitter, please add/follow us too!  See the links on the menu to the right for details.

There are a few pages incomplete at the moment, but we hope to have these up and running for you as soon as possible.  We also have a lot of products to add to our online shop, but this should be rectified by the end of the week at the latest.  If you have any comments or encounter any problems with the site, please let me know as soon as possible.

Patchouli Fair bags: Made in India
These beautifully embellished brightly coloured cotton bags are perfect for the summer. Imported by Fair Trade supplier Patchouli Fair, they are made in small family businesses in rural India, using traditional techniques of hand dyeing, embroidery, sequin and bead work. Prices are from £25.

Saffron Winds silk bags and accessories: Made in Cambodia
These bags and accessories are perfect for a classy evening look or for a summer wedding. The hand-woven raw silk scarves come in a wide range of subtle or vibrant shades and tone well with simple embroidered or plain silk handbags. We also have a number of stylish recycled net shoulder bags and wallets for daily use. Sales support the welfare and livelihoods of women and young people in village communities in Cambodia.

Just Buy beaded animals: Made in Kenya
You can’t miss our fantastic selection of beaded animal ornaments in funky bright colours. The pink flamingo is proving a favourite, but there are lions, giraffes, spiders and elephants, all priced from £3.50 to £22. The artisans who make these critters are from Kenya and money they make from sales enable them to live with dignity and to send their children to school.

Nkuku stainless steel handpainted cups and bowls: Made in Kashmir, India.
These beautifully designed hand-painted cups and bowls are perfect for picnics or meals outdoors. Illustrated with pretty patterns of birds and leaves.

Arrival after braving public transport only to find that the combination door lock is in an even more temperamental frame of mind than yourself and refuses to perform the function that it is supposed to. There follows a silent prayer that this will not be my fate!

However, the smiles from a welcoming staff are a refreshing reminder of what lies ahead. Shelves need restocking, items priced and the shop swept clean in readiness for the delight of customers which starts with a trickle, enabling amicable chat with an eager clientele.

The till clicks remorselessly on and the credit card machine turns red hot as bags, obscure musical instruments, exotic and finely crafted objects and jewellery join the staple food requirements in leaving the shelves as fair trade aficionados flock into the shop. Help is needed as the barcode reader ceases to recognise items.

In a flash, the morning has gone and the afternoon shift appears with a happy smile enabling release back into an unsuspecting world safe in the knowledge that fair trade continues to flourish in a small corner of Edinburgh that is the One World Shop.

- Eric Osborne