The Ten Thousand Villages Christmas craft fair returns to Abbotsford, starting Dec. 6.
The sale continues until Dec. 10 and runs daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Emmanuel Mennonite Church, 3471 Clearbrook Rd., with extended hours until 9 p.m. on Dec. 9. The store sells products from more than 30 countries, providing work for nearly 60,000 people around the world.
This year’s event focuses on artisans from Africa. One unique item that will be sold is the Away with Hunger Scarf.
Proceeds from the sale of this cotton item, selling for $30 each, will provide food and relief in the horn of Africa, where many artisans, their families and communities have been affected by famine.
Ten Thousand Villages will contribute $5 from each sale to famine relief in Africa through the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC). Craft Link Kenya has pledged to contribute 10 per cent of its sales to the purchase of dried food for its craft producers and their families.
Ten Thousand Villages volunteer Mika Toews said she is excited about the sale, taking place in the church she attends.
“I absolutely believe in the work of Ten Thousand Villages,” she said. “It makes such a difference to artisans – but not only that, it also makes a difference to the communities in which they live with things like health clinics, education and clean water.”
For more information, visit tenthousandvillages.ca, http://mcc.org or http://www.emmanuelmennonite.com/