Sotiria International – May 2017 – Why Fair Trade Matters

Do you realize that Saturday, May 13 is designated as International Fair Trade Day?

What is Fair Trade and how does it impact you?

 

The food we eat, the coffee we drink and the clothes that we wear are classified as either Fair Trade or Unfair Trade.   So, what is Fair Trade?  If a product is labeled as Fair Trade, it means that the original farmer or artisan received a fair living wage for their work.  Unfortunately, many of the products and food items we consume in America do not provide the farmer or artisan with a fair living wage.  Instead, in order for Americans to receive the benefit of less expensive items, and for the large corporations  to enjoy a substantial profit, the small farmer or artisan in developing countries are cheated out of a fair wage.  In fact man,y of them are not treated much better than slaves.  I have personally visited Dole Pineapple Plantations where the workers live in the same buildings that slaves lived in during colonial days.  The workers are living on pennies a day and living in the homes of former slaves!  On the other hand Fair Trade is an approach to business in which the farmer or artisan is treated fairly and given a fair living wage.  In a world where people are exploited for profit, everyone should understand why every purchase matters.  Here are a few of the reasons why Christians should care about Fair Trade.

Poverty produces desperation; which leads to exploitation; creating suffering; resulting in hopelessness.

The hopelessness of poverty is not God’s plan.  Rather, the Bible is clear that God’s people are to intervene to keep people from becoming desperate and exploited as slaves or prostitutes.   “Do not withhold good from those who deserve it, when it is in your power to act.” (Proverbs 3:27)

 

The Lord requires that we make an investment in the lives of the impoverished. 

 

God requires us to pay the poor worker “his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it.  Otherwise he may cry to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin.” (Deuteronomy 24:15)

 

Prompt and Fair wages are critical for life to those who may go without food, shelter, or clothing because of their poverty.  The people we work with in developing countries around the world do not have many of the financial resources which most Americans take for granted like . . . retirement accounts, 401K, stocks and bonds, mutual funds, life insurance, savings accounts, or even bank accounts.  All of these resources create a cushion in our lives so that we are not in a desperate situation if we do not get paid or loose our job.  And even when we do get into desperate situations, there are resources which we can reach out to for assistance through the government and local churches.  In fact, I had the very humbling, but privileged experience, of receiving food from the “Bread of Life” food pantry at Hazel Dell Christian Church this past week.  It was a wonderful privilege to be able to access assistance during our time of need, but it was also very humbling because this was a ministry I began back in 2008 while on staff at HDCC.  I was able to experience what the Scripture says in Luke 6:38, “Give, and it will be given to you.  A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap.  For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”  Thank you Tim, Ernie, & Steve for being a vessel of God’s blessing.

 

But imagine what is like for the men and women whom we assist around the world.  For them, if they do not get paid each day, then they do not have money to buy food for their children.  In fact, one of the ministries we are working with in central Uganda is an orphanage with 366 children.  The orphanage typically raises crops in order to feed the children.  During this last year there was a drought throughout Uganda and Kenya.  Consequently, they do not have any food to feed the children.  Although the crops are in the ground and they are praying for a good harvest this July, this does not provide food for the children now.  We are trying to assist them in providing food for the children.  It costs them $200 per day (or $6,000 per month).  Do you have anything that you could spare to help us feed these starving orphans?

Fair Trade restores dignity as women are freed from prostitution, children are released from child labor, families remain together because selling a child is no longer necessary, teens receive an education so they can choose a different plan for their lives, and communities are transformed where people for the first time have an income they can depend on to provide for the basic needs of their families.  Fair Trade gives hope for a better life and restores the dignity God intended for all people.  “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap.” (Psalm 113:7)

 

Regard for the needs of the poor worker is required because of who God is.  We need no other incentive.  “He who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” (Proverbs 14:31)

 

What can you do?

You might be thinking, “This is all well and good, but what can I do?”  

This is where your partnership with SOTIRIA comes into play.  We realize that not everyone can do what we do.  Many people are not equipped to travel to foreign countries, live without the modern conveniences of America, or eat food that is very different than what we are used to in America.  But this is something which God has called us to do.  We can go on your behalf, as your representatives, and bring the training and financial resources which are needed in order to help aspiring entrepreneurs to work their way out of poverty and into financial independence.  But this is not something which we can do by ourselves.  We NEED Your Partnership.  We need your prayers and financial support in order to carry forth this vital, unique ministry.  I can confidently say that there are NO OTHER Ministries exactly like SOTIRIA.  You have the opportunity to partner with us as we accomplish something that no one else is doing.  Three of our greatest needs that we have at this time are for:

I am not able to devote full-time to the ministry and the income I receive is painfully inadequate.  Currently we are living on 1/3 of what I made as a local church pastor.  We covet your prayers and financial support for us personally in this ministry.

2. Uganda Training.  We have 2 ministries in Uganda which are in need of additional training and support. We are making plans to go in August, but we are unable to accomplish this without the necessary funds.  One month in Uganda will cost $6,000.  This covers everything from vaccines to flights to housing to food to visas to everything you can think of.  This might seem like a lot, but when you realize there are other ministries traveling to Africa which will spend $5,500 for a 2-week trip, you then realize that we are frugal with our expenses.  We do not spend money on nice hotels, fancy meals, or touristy activities.  Your support will be used to do ministry.

Here are just a few pictures to give you an idea of what we have.

 

When Helping Hurts

 

The Poor Will Be Glad

 

A Billion Bootstraps

  

Thank you for being partners with us in this ministry!

 

The success of our ministry wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our supporters. Will you prayerfully consider standing with us to make a difference among the world’s poor in the name of Jesus by making a one-time or monthly gift of $25, $50, $100, or more?

 

For your convenience you can make a secure donation online through our crowdfunding page at:

https://www.youcaring.com/sotiria or if you prefer you can use PayPal here: https://www.paypal.me/sotiriaint

 

We have added a new partnership this year and are asking all of our supporters to open a FREE account with TRUNITED… Soon to be the World’s Largest Buying Club.  Trunited WILL save you money on many of your regular monthly purchases at national retailers like Walmart, Starbucks, Shell Gasoline, Target, Groupon, Chick-Fil-A, Best Buy and many more.  Through our partnership, EVERY DOLLAR you save on your purchases will be matched by Trunited and come back to support our ministry.  I can’t tell you how excited I am to be offering a way for you to support us while at the same time helping you save money on your everyday purchases.  

Please take a moment now to create your free account here:

http://trunited.com/user/sotiria 

 

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR CONTINUED PRAYERS AND GENEROUS SUPPORT!

 

Caring for the poor,

 

Pastor Kurt and Pamella Berger