Global Connections hosted a Fairtrade coffee morning at the Haven Christian Centre in Pembroke, on Friday, March 4, as part of Fairtrade Fortnight. With the help of volunteers and supporters, they hoped to highlight the Make Poverty History campaign and to enlighten all on how Fairtrade, Trade Justice and the Make Poverty History campaigns are inextricably linked. Community groups from Pembroke, Milford, Pembroke Dock and Tenby attended and the volunteers from Mount Pleasant Baptist Church were kept extremely busy providing freshly brewed Fairtrade coffee, tea and delicious home-made Fairtrade cakes. Such was the success of the morning, it is estimated that they served up approximately 200 cups of Fairtrade beverage in accordance with the Traidcraft challenge which has a target of serving 100,000 cups of fairly traded tea and coffee over Fairtrade Fortnight between March 1 and 13. To add interest to the morning, a Fairtrade quiz was organised by Maggie Thomas and there were Fairtrade stalls with products from Thailand and Traidcraft products provided by Bea Sutton. A total of £144.25 was collected on the day by very generous donations, a Fairtrade raffle and the sale of the Make Poverty History Arm Bands. The money will be divided between the Fairtrade Foundation, Traidcraft and the Make Poverty History Campaign. A bumper hamper of Fairtrade goodies was won by the Ashdale Care home. Zambian Fairtrade honey buyer Aggie Chimanda was on hand to talk to the participants about traditional beekeeping and her role in visiting around 350 remote village beekeeping groups in Zambia and buying the honey they produce. In many cases, honey sales are the only way that people can get cash for essential needs that we take for granted - salt, soap, blankets, hospital fees and school fees. Aggie's visit to the UK has been co-ordinated by Tom Bean, of Tropical Forest Products of Aberystwyth. Tom from Manorbier is a former pupil of Greenhill and also works part-time for Global Connections. Tom and Aggie later met up with Nick Ainger MP who spent most of the morning chatting to the participants and the Global Connections team about their work in development education. Following the coffee morning, Aggie went on to visit Pembrokeshire College and Haverfordwest Farmer's Market, then Ysgol Glan Cleddau in Haverfordwest. As part of a Fairtrade workshop run by Global Connections, Aggie talked to pupils about her life in Zambia and the production of the Fairtrade honey, amazing the pupils with a real Zambian beehive and honey tasting. Global Connections Fairtrade workshops are part of a year round programme part funded by Christian Aid and Oxfam. A special thank you is extended to the volunteers of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church who made the most wonderful Fairtrade cakes, to trustee of Global Connections Maggie Thomas, the Haven Christian Centre and Marks and Spencers, Carmarthen. Global Connections are also indebted to the following: Co-operative group; Christian Aid; Oxfam; Traidcraft; Fairtrade Foundation; Divine, for their continuing support and to the Department of International Development (DFID); the Sustainable Development Fund 'Planning for a Sustainable Future'; Welsh Assembly Government; Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority; Pembrokeshire County Council; and New Opportunities/ENFYS for funding.
