Making Midtown Global: PAMBE Ghana’s Fair Trade Global Market Opens At The Sieber for a Second Holiday Season

Global-minded shoppers will once again find the seasonal fair trade shop of local non-profit PAMBE Ghana in Oklahoma City’s Midtown, at the Sieber Apartments, 1307 N Hudson. The Market will be open this year from Nov. 1-Dec. 24.

“We’re so grateful to the Sieber for donating space to our Global Market again this year,” said PAMBE Ghana president Tom Temple. “This is a significant gift, which allows us to redirect those funds to benefit the children at the La’Angum Learning Center.”

This year LLC has an enrollment of 278 students from pre-school through grade 6. The school’s remote location, in a rural area without running water or electricity, brings the promise of literacy to children in the nearby, underserved villages. Education is offered to girls and boys, as well as children of all faiths. To date LLC has graduated three classes of 6^th graders, who have moved on to junior high school. There are 35 pre-schoolers in this year’s entering class.

PAMBE Ghana has recruited and trained a dedicated teaching staff now skilled in child-centered learning methods. Our success brings new needs: funds raised this year will support increased and sustained compensation for our excellent teachers.  

All Global Market merchandise is fair trade; it is purchased directly from artisans or from certified members of the Fair Trade Federation. Fair Trade principles include a guarantee that artisans are paid a fair price for their products. They also receive assistance with design development, quality control and improved working conditions. Global Market fair trade products come from countries on almost every continent.

More than 50 volunteers are involved in ordering the merchandise, setting up (and breaking down) the market each season, and staffing the market each holiday season. Some have been volunteering since PAMBE Ghana staged its first Global Market ten years ago.

The Global Market hours are noon-6:00 pm Tuesdays through Saturdays, beginning Thursday, November 1. It will close at 3:00 pm on Monday, December 24. The Market is also available by appointment for private shopping and small group functions.

Some of the items available are metal works, such as ostriches and roosters; and colorful serving ware.

Did you know?

PAMBE Ghana’s teachers presently earn less than those who serve at Ghanaian Education Service (“GES”) schools and La’Angum Learning Center risks losing Montessori trained teachers to the GES. Thanks to the generosity of the Liddell Foundation and Mother Huggers, PAMBE Ghana will begin to implement its long-time plan of responsibly raising teacher salaries. Please join Mother Huggers by making a tax deductible donation to support increased teacher compensation. Please see more at motherhuggers.us to see that organization’s good work done locally and internationally