In Pernille Bülow Jewelry you see a combination of Ghana and Denmark and a new unique product arises. The traditional handmade Ghanaian glass beads made of recycled glass from cars, bottles, etc. meets the Bornholm glass artist Pernille Bülow’s who has Scandinavian’s clean graphic design.

The beads are unique and made nowhere else in the world – and they are not factory produced. Pearl Producers are generally among the poorest groups in Ghana. Pernille Bülow Jewelry works with single mothers who are the most vulnerable group.

But through Pernille Bülow Jewelry women’s handicrafts are now coming out to the western world, and women learn to target their products for the Western market. This means that they can actually live by their work, send their children to school and more than just dream about even building their own house. It must be something about the unique interaction between aesthetics and function that is summarized in the concept of PURE as it is chosen as the booth theme for Formland Autumn 2009, when the jewelry is presented.

Pernille Bülow’s unique, handmade, Danish-designed and fair trade-produced jewelry is the way to succeed in a new era. We now make greater and greater demands for both past products and also their future prospects. It is part of the development cooperation that Pernille Bülow Jewelry teaches them about the western distribution mechanisms, requirements, etc. and teaches them how to conduct themselves in this new potential market.

At the stand you can meet Rachel (No. 36), one of Pernille Bülow Jewelry’s four permanent employees who have been involved from the start. She is an experienced pearl producer, does quality checks, is a bomb of energy and humor, a mother of five adult children – and quite fantastic.

You can also meet Agnes, the company’s administrator. She has only been employed for six years but is already irreplaceable. A wise, sweet and lovely girl.

Pernille Bülow writes: I have always been honest about jewelry production. Fair trade for me should not be charity but business. Otherwise, I do not think it wise and durable enough. Through our cooperation we equip women to stand on their own feet and run their own small businesses.

It is the most amazing motivation to see these women grow in their work, develop, and be proud of their uniqueness, it is obviously a huge bonus. And without it I would never have reached as far as we have now. It is hard work with the unthinkable, many detours to get a fair trade co-operation like this to succeed. I have to visit Ghana two to four times a year to teach them new designs and quality, etc. The close cooperation is a necessity. A fair trade project cannot be dealt with consultation from time to time. One is simply obliged to be part of the project itself.

We must also remember that collaboration is a win-win situation. The women earn more money, while I have been given access to some unique beads that are simply not made elsewhere.

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