Fair Trade success

from Stamford Mercury

HUNDREDS of people flocked to a charity to sample Fair Trade goods as part of Stamford's Fair Trade fortnight.

The event, which was organised by the Fairtrade Town steering group, saw a stall in the High Street outside Oxfam offering people samples of Fair Trade teas, coffees, juices, smoothies, flapjacks, eccles cakes, chocolates, biscuits and geobars.

And organisers had another reason to celebrate after two more shops, Threshers and Central Cafe, signed up to the scheme.

Spokesman George Hetherington said: "We were excited by the enthusiastic response, and we created more interest than ever. But, best of all though was the great news that two new retail outlets are to sell FT products, both in Red Lion Square."

The close of the event was marked by a special presentation by an Ethiopian farmer to about 100 Year 9 from Queen Eleanor Technology College.

The students were brought face to face with the problems of poverty and inequality when they met and talked with Befkadu, an Ethiopian from Addis Ababa.

Befkadu told the students how Ethiopian coffee growers received only 7p for their coffee beans out of every £1 spent on coffee in this country and how, on the 200th anniversary of the abolition of slavery in this country, the Ethiopian farmer said 'his life was like slavery'.

Befkadu is due to make a return to The Deepings School on Tuesday, April 3, to talk to year eight pupils. He has already spoken to other year groups at the school about his experiences and as a result the students have organised a non-uniform day on Friday, March 30, to raise funds to help toward the cost of his trip to England.