Our amazing handcrafts and gourmet organic treats make great gifts. You'll get information along with each purchase about Fair Trade and how you're contributing to the effort to Leave Better Footprints.

A Better Footprint is a non-profit organization with the mission of restoring dignity
to the world's poor through education about Fair Trade and engaging in sales of fairly traded goods.
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Ti Manyez - Gros Islet, Saint Lucia
Born in the jungles of Guyana but with his family roots in Saint Lucia, Laurence was taught early on how to utilize sustainably the natural materials around him. For fifteen years, Laurence has been able to perfect the craft of working with natural dried coconut to create beautiful jewelry, boxes, and other artistic crafts. He calls his workshop, "Ti Manyez" which translates from Creole to English meaning "little ideas" or "little ways."

Laurence and his new partner Louisa have chosen to use as their primary material one of the most widely available resources on the island - coconuts. While it's a tedious process and requires much skill, they have chosen to keep this traditional and eco-friendly project alive despite many of the other crafters turning toward cheaper synthetic or imported materials for the majority of their craft. With their talent, the result is stunning and sustainable!

His primary outlet has been wholesaling his crafts to tourist markets in Castries, where Laurence often places his work on consignment and receives a small percentage of the retail price (in some cases, only 10%) and occasionally gets paid months and months after a sale is already made. As we browsed his designs at the markets, not one of his retailers was able to remember his full name or provide a telephone number, and none of them had Laurence's information or story displayed for buyers to see. A Better Footprint wanted to make sure that Laurence and his family got credit for their "little ideas."

With our introduction of Fair Trade practices to Laurence and his 4 children, which includes advance payment, exposure to international markets, assistance obtaining quality and affordable materials (such as earring hooks and clasps), and deserved credit for his work, Laurence hopes to be able to finally own his own home before he reaches retirement age.

Currently he rents a small home and uses his modest income to send his children to school. Prince, his eldest son, 22, is now learning the craft and assists his father in the workshop along with his new partner Louisa.

Support Ti Manyez by buying their products in our fair trade store.