Today we worked on our statement and goals. At the moment these are SaltSpring specific.

Statement

Our aim is to address the urgency of global wealth inequality by creatively linking SaltSpring Island with communities of the South to facilitate the exchange of goods, ideas and much needed resources.

Goals

1. Facilitate the success of community based projects in countries with less financial wealth by insuring their access to North American markets.
2. Creating long term sustainable relationships between SaltSpring Island and communities in the South.
3. To promote production of artesian goods at a grassroots level and to ensure a consistent source of income for them.
4. Raise awareness and participate in community lead projects in (names of countries SOLID is involved in).
5. Create forums to connect people with different backgrounds and passions and to exchange information relevant to their current realities.

These are still a work in progress, we are open to suggestions and feedback.

Our website meeting for last Friday had to be re-scheduled until the February 22nd which was a bit disappointing. Hope to get the site up soon after our meeting.

We will be launching the fair-trade store at Our Island, Our World Film Festival March 7th - 9th then moving it over to the SOLID office after that.

Thanks to everyone that helped to get the store - SOLID Exchange - up and running. We opened the Saturday of the <ned> weekend, May 17, 2008.

Shop hours are Thursday - Sunday, 10:30 am to 2:30 pm.

Sales May 17 - May 31

• Gross: $449.50
• Cost: $135.75
• Net: $313.75

It's a beginning ... It was encouraging to note that we had much more traffic through the shop this past weekend and our display is improving as we move along!

That is sensational!!

Oh and so is $313.75 - it's in black ink baby! :)

Congratulations to all of you.

Yep, that would be black ink baby! The only kind I like to use : )

Considering that we never use to make any money out of the office space I'm pretty happy. And worth mentioning, it raises our SOLID profile in the SaltSpring community.

Right ON!!!!

I"m so proud of you and hope that my efforts in my community are as successful!

Here's to selling purple baskets LOL

LMFAO!!! <<< that one's for Ray :D

Still got all the purple baskets. Okay, that's not totally true I did sell a purple basket just not one of the purple baskets.

Hi Meron, Melanie, Simon and everybody, who is interested.

I have set up a site on gobc.ca for SOLID Exchange. This is a website with all kind of tourist information about places in BC. This is the link to the site, I named it so far SOLID Exchange. I had to put a name behind that, when I registered it, so I used mine. Let me know, if you want a different name there.

http://www.gobc.ca/salt-spring-i sland-travel/galleries-exhibits- shows/

It's a very interesting website, check it out and see, if you like what I did with our site and if you want any changes. If you want, I can give you the password, you can see, how many page views we had per day, per month... In June we had so far 172 page views and on the german site we had 45.

Stephanie

Stephanie,

This should make your link work

:)

Stephanie, Looks awesome! Just a few correction suggestions:

Silver Pendant Pearl & Ruby, handcrafted in Thailand

ALL CRAFTS are bought by us from the artists in Zimbabwe, Lesotho, Malawi, Kenya, Swaziland, Laos and Thailand. Proceeds are going to SOLID, a non-profit society dedicated to support communities in Sub-Saharan Africa facing the devastation of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Handcrafted in Lesotho

SOLID EXCHANGE is a group of concerned friends aiming to contribute to people in Southern Africa and other parts of the world in achieving an adequate standard of living. OUR GOALS are: 1.) To raise necessary funds for already existing community-driven projects through the sale of arts and crafts from all over the world. 2.)Facilitating artisans in the South to develop and produce their crafts, and provide them with marketing outlets in North America. 3.) To fund training workshops for our partners in southern Africa. 4.) To create forums for the exchange of goods as well as ideas between Canada and the South of Africa. 5.)To establish long term relationships with our partners.

Handcrafted in Laos

WHAT WE SELL:

As many of us are aware, there is unrelenting basic need, that an overwhelming majority of people feel on a daily basis in the Southern Hemisphere. At the same time, we are becoming aware of the immense material privilege we have in the North. One way, that we can help is through the purchase of goods produced by the artisans, made using traditional techniques that reflect the richness of their heritage.

For example, we may purchase from artisans in Asia, sell them in Canada and send the profit to a project in Southern Africa, where we already have successful projects we are supporting.

Shirt and basket, handcrafted in Kenya

WHERE THE MONEY GOES:

Our intention is to provide income for producers as well as supporting our partners in Southern Africa. Yet, because we need money to operate, we have to set aside a certain amount for our cost of running SOLID Exchange. In most cases 50% or more of the proceeds will go to the projects we are involved in supporting and the other 50% will go towards purchase of goods and our operating costs.

Please refer to each item for info on where the money from the sale goes. We aim to provide our customers with as much information as possible so you can learn how you are creating positive change in the world. I removed some commas.

Soapstone carving, handcrafted in Zimbabwe

OUR PARTNERS IN THE SOUTH:

• Apples for Orphans in Lesotho: samsyd@telus.net
• Tuendele Mbele in Kenya: maggieziegler@telus.net
• Masango Cultural Canter in Zimbabwe: www.masangodema.org
• Phelisanong in Lesotho: info@solidsaltspring.com
• Sala Hantle in Malawi: acallegari2003@yahoo.com
• Agnes Pareyio in Kenya: ccole51@telus.net
• Kambhoke Orphan School in Swaziland: ccole51@telus.net

SOLID Exchange has been in business for a month and a half now and this is how it shakes down.

• Gross: 1,637.00
• Cost: 623.50
• Net: $1,013.50

I'm keeping track of the books in a google document so if any of you are interested in the particulars send me your gmail address and I'll invite you.

Finally, we got our summer weather and I'm off to find a body of water to jump in to. Stay cool!!!

The SOLID Exchange doors have been open for almost 3 months now. Here are the 1st quarter figures.

Sales May 17 - August 12, 2008

• Gross: $2,800.00
• Cost: $997.50
• Net: $1,802.50

: )

$600 a month is not bad at all...heck, net in and of itself is great news.

Great work.

Yeah, I know it's not big money but I'm pretty happy with the way things have been going. And officially we still have another weekend to go before the 1st quarter is over. We'll have to get the mom and Max (the dog) team to turn up the heat. They have a pretty good selling strategy. Mom works in the rose garden, Max lures them and mom starts pitching.

And it's not all about the $$$s. A couple of weekends ago a father brought his daughter, about 7 years old, in on the Sunday to buy a birthday gift for a party she was attending. She bought a bracelet and an Apples for Orphans card. I had the opportunity to explain to her what we do and give her one of our little fliers that explains our goals and where the money goes. I ran in to the father a couple of days later; he thanked me and told me how proud he was of his daughter. She was very taken with the whole experience and told everybody about it. I thanked him for being so thoughtful and bringing her in. That is priceless!

That is a great story, and that really is what it is all about.

I have witnessed the store's evolution- from helping set up on the first day to dropping by yesterday and want to applaud Meron's dedication and determination.

The big success measure here is not the $, although that's always useful but the success is in the collective action combining resources (space, inventory, volunteers, promotions). This store has advanced the cause of SOLID and the African partner projects by building awareness, education and advocacy.

Another important outcome is the postive impression one gets of Africa in the store through the photographs and crafts. When there are so many images of needy, desperate Africians in the media, its important to get a glimpse of the beauty and complexity.

I know of some of the challenges Meron has faced, including staffing, angry locals freaking out on volunteers, and she has persevered. You rock, Meron!

Thanks for the kind words. It has been quite a journey for her but also an adventure . Meron's Mom

I also want to thank Meron and all the hardworking volunteers for keeping SOLID's projects active and vibrant in our community of Salt Spring Island. I continue to stand in awe of your dedication Meron! Congrats on a great effort and result.

Awww, geee, shucks!

Thanks everyone for your very kind words, they are very much appreciated. But to read you all one might think that I'm on this road alone and that's so NOT what is happening here. It takes all of us, working together, to make these things happen. Thank you all for your wonderful help, support and getting behind these sometimes seemingly crazy schemes. Nothing happens without all of us : )

Super stuff! Hooray SOLID-SSI :)

Thanks Lars! Your energetic support is very much appreciated.

Here are the figures for the 1st quarter ending August 17, 2008.

<drum roll please>

• Gross: $3,209.00
• Cost: $1,070.00
• Net: $2,139.00

This translates to and average of $713.00/month for the 1st quarter. And because I was encouraged to do so (thanks Ellie) this represents 100 volunteer hours. Good thing/bad thing? Is this a good use of our volunteer time? How do you measure that which is not monetary gain? What value do you place on the positive image that Ellie so eloquently pointed out earlier?

Hey Gorgeous,

Firstly, WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Secondly, I don't know the answers to any of your questions mainly because I'm not sure one could accurately answer those questions after only one quarter.

The one thing I know beyond doubt is that goodwill is priceless.

What price (for instance) do you put on every volunteer hour Yue-Lin puts in editing and organising i-act stuff when Gabe & KTJ have been in Chad??

Some things cannot be easily or accurately measured - like spending time with a little 7 yr old on a birthday present buying outing. You might forget her in 20 years time..... but Meron, she will remember you ALWAYS!

love Gayle :)

Thanks Gayle!!! Personally I feel this is all well worth the effort and believe this to be a valid use of volunteer time, I'm just asking the questions because I was told I should LOL! I know, it's not very often I do a thing just because some one told me to : ) but I like her just fine and I want to keep her as a friend 'cause she's really, really smart and stuff.

And because I spent all day fighting with the computer/internet/spreadsheets I'm going to share the financial results for August:

• Gross: $1,259.50
• Cost: $359.75
• Net: $899.75

Now I'm going home. My daughter has been calling me once an hour for the last 4 hours wondering why I'm not home yet when I said I'd be there at 2:30 when the shop closed.

ps: you made me cry ... a good thing : )

Meron, think of all the folks who now do not say "what is SOLID" because Max herds them into the store and they stop to admire the restored rose garden. Now I hear, oh yes, have heard of you. you do good work. Now SOLID has a face,