Here at Goodness Foods we are committed to finding products that are produced by ethical companies. To help you get a feel for the kind of businesses we work with, we have compiled a collection of articles about them for you. We currently have articles on the following companies:
Aconbury, Beanies, BioD, Booja Booja, Calon Wen, The Chocolate Heart, Conscious Chocolate, Demeter Felderzeugnisse, Ecozone, Ella's Kitchen, Elliot's, Equal Exchange, Forest Foods, Microrganics, James White, Montezuma's, Mrs Crimble's, Natural Eco Trading, Organic Chef, The Organic Collection, Oromo, The Pickled Village, Pukka Herbs, Qi tea, Shipton Mill, Suncoat, The Skin Blossom, Tims Diary Yogurts, Traidcraft, Ubuntu Cola, Yeo Valley, Yogi Tea
The Pickled Village
Did you know that one in three of the world's poor live in India?
Dalit is a business committed saving Dalit children from a life of poverty.
For over 3000 years the caste system in India has meant that if you were born as one of the 250 million Dalits or Untouchables, then your opportunities in life are extremely limited. That is opportunities in education, health care, even where you can worship. They are outcasts, being outside the caste system and considered the lowest in Indian society. Girls are particularly vulnerable and are often sold when their families can no longer afford to keep them. They then join the 15 million children in bonded labour, a form of modern slavery, in India today.
Despite it's booming economy, one in three of the world's poor live in India and it has more malnourishment than in the whole of sub-Saharan Africa and few amongst the Dalit community benefit from India's new found wealth.
Simon Hawthorne, Director and Founder Trustee, originally visited Uttar Pradesh, one of India's most backward states 18 years ago, and felt convinced that through his wide business experience he could make a significant difference to the people he met, many of whom were illiterate and whose children received no education. He formed the charity Life Association which for 18 years has been building schools and children's homes in some of the poorest parts of India and works tirelessly to raise awareness of the plight of the Dalits which is arguably the greatest human rights issue in the world today, simply because of the number of people affected.
Simon has been joined by his wife Julia who now both work full time for the charity and together they have launched the brand Dalit Candles and Spices which is owned by the charity. Julia now heads up the sales operation whilst Simon works with his design team and overseeing the supply chain requirements. Following 30 years in the fashion business Simon has redirected his design eye to combine eco packaging with Western design in the launch of their products.
The charity is committed to the highest levels of ethical and environmental conscience and employs Dalits wherever possible. Their candle pots are hand crafted in the Dharavi slum in Mumbai and their Spices are packed by Dalit people.
All the profits from the sale of our products goes directly to the charities work in India where over 10,000 children have been through their education programme and many have been saved from a life of poverty. Over 85% of the children in their schools go on to further education. English is the business language of India and key to success for these children. Along with the profits from the sale of products the charities child sponsorship programme is a great way to help a child break the cycle of oppression that children suffer under the caste system. This costs just £20.00 a month or 70p a day a provides the healthcare, clothing and education in a loving home. For more information visit www.lifeassociation.co.uk or to see the full range of products visit www.dalit.co.uk
