Every dollar that Pidoodle receives on sales made between Thanksgiving and Christmas 2006 will be donated to support fair-trade craft artisans in other parts of the world. Here is one way your purchase can make a difference:

For generations, the Maasai people of Kenya have made a living grazing cattle and goats on the savanna of the Great Rift Valley. But droughts have decimated herds. As the Maasai population grows, competition for scarce pastureland and water increases.
Many Maasai are turning to traditional handicrafts to support themselves. The Namayiana Maasai Women's Group produces Maasai ornaments and jewelry for Ten Thousand Villages. A program of MCC, Ten Thousand Villages provides income to artisans through fair trade. Through Namayiana, more than 100 Maasai women support their families and preserve the tradition of Maasai handicrafts.
Elizabeth Matura, a longtime Namayiana member in her late 40s, says that her modest income from Namayiana has allowed her to provide for her children, pay their school fees and earn greater respect from her husband. While in the past she needed to ask her husband for money to make any purchase, she can now buy her children food, clothing and school supplies without delay. "It makes him respect me more because I'm also earning — I'm also able to contribute," she says.

To read stories about other artisans or for more general information about these aid efforts, click on a picture to the right.