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The Power of Fairtrade

Case Study
The story of Dankan Mumu, Kikomba ghetto, Nairobi, Kenya

Dankan, a small man aged 38 or as near to that as he can remember, was born in the ghetto slums of Nairobi. Being from the Kamba tribe, he is a proud man. He married young and still lives with his wife and four children in their two roomed homemade corrugated tin shanti. Its hot, dusty and smelly, but its home.

Like his father and brothers before him he trained from a very young age as a wood carver. He thinks he started about the age of 4, carrying wood and raking up the shavings to use as fuel for the fire. His father could only afford to send one of his brothers to school and, unfortunately for Dankan as he was not the first born male, he had to miss out. He learned his trade and from the age of about 8 when he was carving, cleaning, sanding and painting in the small ghetto carvers shop with his father and brothers.

In 2003, now aged about 35 or 36, Dankan would earn about 500 Kenya Shillings a month, about £3.50. His rent was 100 shillings a month, about 66 pence, and he could just about feed his family with the balance, sustaining themselves on rice, ugali (a type of cabbage) and fried goat entrails.

Despite this rampant poverty, Dankan taught himself to speak English and write not only in Kswahilli and his own Kamba dialect but also in English. In 2000 there were many carvers from the Kamba tribe all striving to get that little business that would pass their way. They decided to form a co-operative society to give themselves a voice within the community and with the local council and politicians. Dankan was respected and elected by the co-operative to be the secretary to the overseeing committee.

In early 2003 Jambohut came along with the idea of fairtrade. Being fluent in his self taught English, Dankan was selected to discuss the concepts with the Jambohut representatives and translate for the members.

Immediately Dankan caught onto the idea. Andrew (from Jambohut) remembers that first meeting well. Dankan appeared to get more and more excited with his eyes widening and a huge smile baring his snow white teeth, as the concept of fairtrade was unwound and explained.

Dankan could hold his excitement no longer, almost laughing as he said, “just tell me again, so that I understand, we carve items for you at a fair price that we agree beforehand and you pay us before you take the carvings away” “Yes” Andrew replied
“And on top of that you pay us directly, no back handers to anyone”
“Yes” Andrew again replied
“And then you help with replanting trees, help the members with their health and living”
“Yes” Andrew was being drawn in by the ever increasing infectiousness of Dankans demeanour
“Whats the catch?” Dankan frowned for a moment
Andrew shook his head, “No catch, everything is written down, contracted”

Dankan started to cry. Andrew was shaken, “What’s the matter?” he asked

Wiping the dust stained streaks from his cheeks, his eyes red and still watering, after a few composing seconds Dankan replied “All my life, all I ever wanted was the chance to be able to sell my skills fairly. To receive a fair price for the time and effort put in. And all my life I have believed that the chance can never come to me because I must pay this person or that person, I must cut my price so the middleman can make his commission”, he took a deep breath, his composure returning,“Does this fairtrade really work?”

Andrew nodded, “It works”.
Dankan remained silent for a few moments, head bowed looking down at the battered desk, “I have just had to thank God”
He went on “Everyone here will feel the same as me, just the chance to offer our carvings in an open marketplace, if we are good enough people will buy, if not they won’t, it is heaven sent”

Those words left a deep impression on Andrew, this diminutive Kamba man became deeply emotional and truly thanked God just for being given the chance to stand on a level playing field. It had nothing to do with money, it was just fair, something he had never had in his life before.