Greenbook: A Local Guide to Chesapeake Living -Issue 11 | Page 24

W
I
henever I am tasked with interviewing some-
n a world where most of what we use on a daily basis
one with a story as interesting as Shannon’s,
is sterile, mass-produced and utterly disposable, fair
I am eager to get to the heart of the matter:
trade goods are hand-crafted with locally sourced ma-
that moment when my subject chooses one
terials such as straw, leather, fabric, paper and even
path over another. For Shannon, the genesis of Mango + recycled plastic. The sale and purchase of fair trade items
Main occurred on a 10th wedding anniversary trip to –fair in that workers are paid a just wage for what they pro-
South Africa with her husband Eric. Shannon says they duce—empowers producers to change their own lives.
chose South Africa as a luxury destination that would
Consumers who prefer fair trade goods aren’t neces-
afford her the opportunity to meet artisans connected to sarily motivated by the upscale impression the fair trade
her work with Noon Day, a fair trade direct sales company trend sometimes implies. Instead, they are seeking prod-
she worked for, but that once in-country they both expe- ucts that stand out from the crowd of typical factory made
rienced a complete mind-shift. Passing through town- products. Fair trade shoppers choose to place their dollar
ships rife with endemic poverty, Shannon and Eric began vote on goods that make a tangible difference in the lives
to question their own role not only as consumers but also of people desperately in need.
as fellow humans with a fundamental obligation to help
It’s important to note that the artisans Shannon works
others. She felt strongly that fair trade goods could be an with are empowered to run their own business. She is
economic tool to consciously connect Main Street USA to not their employer, and doesn’t set prices. A great exam-
producers in developing nations who want desperately to ple of Mango + Main’s ability to empower communities
work and to provide for their families.
through fair trade is the relationship Shannon has with
“When I was able to see the impact that I could have on the every-
day lives of the women I met—their ability to feed their family, to
educate their children, to earn some sort of security in a very inse-
cure world just by selling the bowls they made, I knew I wanted to
create solutions that could change their lives.”
the Umucyo Sewing Cooperative in Kigali, Rwanda. The
seventeen women who founded the cooperative attended
sewing school and now turn out their goods on foot pedal
sewing machines. They have no electricity and yet pro-
duce the most beautiful clothes. The cooperative sets their
own pricing, pays each member a salary from profits and
also manages a tourist shop connected to the factory.
S
hannon launched Mango + Main in September 2016
and the response so far has been overwhelmingly
positive. The business sells goods via an online
shop as well as through area retailers like Here A
Pop Up Shop, mobile fashion truck Tin Lizzie and Twisted
Sisters. Her current assortments include skirts sewn with
fabric personally curated by Shannon and made by a co-
operative of artists in Rwanda, striped cotton hand towels
made in Ethiopia of Egyptian cotton, one-of-a-kind textile
and baby alpaca pillow covers from Peru, scented candles
poured into hand-painted bowls from South Africa, paper
jewelry made in Haiti as well as handbags, wallets and
other goods made by women in Senegal and Kenya.
She’s facilitated manufacture of custom designs for
her local clients and frequently hosts area fundraisers
through the sale of Mango + Main products. When she
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GREENBOOK | SUMMER 2017