Let’s talk about fair trade. If you don’t know what it is, here are two videos that explain the concept (and teachers, they are both on a level kids can understand too.)
Basically fair trade is like saying, Hey. It’s not cool to buy something at any price if the person who made it wasn’t paid a reasonable wage or had to work in bad conditions. Guatemala exports lots of products like coffee, chocolate, textiles, and fruit. Wouldn’t it be great if workers and farmers in those industries were paid a fairer wage?
Are you looking for fair trade coffee? Grounds for Change has a wide selection. Want to start buying fair trade chocolate? Kristen at Rage Against the Minivan has a nice post where she rounds up ways you can make a difference. And if you’re looking for hand-made fair trade items from Guatemala, I recommend Mayaworks. Ten Thousand Villages is also a chain of stores that sell fair trade items. There might be one near you!