“It doesn’t take a lot to make an impact.”
Erin Anderson, Bonnyville Centralized High School (BCHS) Grade 12 student and IMPACT member, hoped that was a lesson people took away from the school’s annual Coffee House and Fair Trade Market. On Wednesday, Nov. 6, residents enjoyed some sweets and shopping for fair trade items during the event at the Bonnyville and District Centennial Centre.
Students and teachers involved with the school’s IMPACT group have been organizing the annual event to put an emphasis on thinking before you purchase.
“I think it’s important to shine a light on global issues, and knowing that there’s products out there that do good in the world,” explained Lesley Ann Etter, BCHS teacher. “There’s eco-friendly products, and there’s stuff that can be made by-hand that the artisans are getting what it’s worth… It’s important for kids to be consciousness shoppers.”
Along with local vendors selling their items, students brought in products from communities across the world as part of the event.
“All of our the money from the fair trade items will be going back, and any of our businesses who don’t have fair trade are donating a percentage of their profits to our endeavour to building a school in Africa,” Etter explained.
She added, “There’s not a lot of opportunity in Bonnyville to shop fair trade. This has been going on for quite a few years to give people that love to do that kind of shopping a place to do it and to buy some products that aren’t readily available in our commercial stores.”
Long-time attendee Nicole Ferbey believes the event offers a unique opportunity for students to learn.
“They get to be the vendors and see what it would be like to sit there and maybe make them conscious of what it was like because the money goes back to the families that make these products. It just makes them more globally aware,” she noted.
Along with raising awareness about fair trade, the market also allows the school to raise some funds toward their own project.
Over the last five years, BCHS has been fundraising to build a school in Africa.
“Two of our teachers on staff are hoping to go with their families and build it. We’re hoping in 2021 it comes to fruition, if we have the money,” exclaimed Etter.
Mickela Tharle, Grade 12 student, said, “We believe that it’s such an important thing for our students and fellow people in our community to understand that when we all come together we can make big things happen in different places and we can make an impact in other places.
