We have been questioned, sometimes even criticised, for using a middle man to help with the import of fair trade goods from Rwanda. Some people naively question the issue, worrying about the middle man taking a cut from the women’s wages.
From a fair trade perspective, however, having a middle man to help with the import of fair trade goods is crucial to the success of a fair trade business and the sustainability of such a project. Here’s why…
1. A Middle Man can check quality – many of our Rwandan crafters cannot recognise the quality needed for sales in UK shops, but a well trained middle man can help with this.
2. A Middle Man can check things are running smoothly on the ground – Fair Trade companies cannot be on the ground all of the time (unless they have an endless budget!) But they still need to check on product production and the well being of the co-operatives.
3. A Middle Man can advise on what products may be successful – some well trained middle men can make product recommendations based on international trade, many craftewrs won’t be aware of fashion and the international market.
4. A Middle Man means that you can collect goods from a wider range of co-operatives, widening the range of people you can support. In-country specialists will know the co-operatives that need support better than you do!
5. A Middle Man know how to ship items and work within the tax systems – It is extremely important for companies to work within the systems of import and export. The bottom line is that, if it is not done properly, it is probably breaking the law!
These 5 important reason to have a middle man highlight the crucial role that a such a person can play in a fair trade company’s supply chain. This is even before language barriers and practicalities have been considered!
Fair trade is not about giving women the highest wage that you can for a one of sale. It is about giving a sustainable wage over a long term. Therefore, sustainability is the key to successful fair trade that will lead to poverty relief. It’s always nice if we can go to another country and buy goods to help someone. But wouldn’t it be nicer if we could guarantee a certain number of sales for many years to come? And help another local Rwandan to earn some money in the process!
At Kigali Crafts our middle man is Abraham Konga. Based in Kigali, Abraham shops around for products for us, and visits other cities such as Gitarama. A high percentage of the population in Gitarama are genocide survivors, and Abraham helps us to access these communities. He also reports back to us on the circumstances of women in the co-operatives, and how much they receive directly for the goods that they make. We then use the fair trade online calculator to check that the wage is sustainable for the artesans.
The key to a good middle man is trust. And, of course, all fair trade producers have the duty to visit co-operatives that they support themselves, to ensure that they are receiving a fair wage. This is much easier when you have a friendly and positive multi-lingual Rwandan businessman as a guide!
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Kigali Crafts 