Zoe

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Just Trade are the exclusive importers of products made by the Zoe project in Peru, which was started by Joanna Heywood in 2000. They guarantee a minimum order every month to ensure that the project is sustainable and the people have regular work.

The project produces several competitively priced ranges of jewellery, their collections include the incredibly popular 'Semilla' range made from seeds and nuts sourced from the Amazon jungle, and a classic silver range, hand crocheted from fine silver wire. More recently they have expanded into making cards, from materials as diverse as recycled bus tickets and hemp string.

Just Trade works hand in hand with the Zoe project giving them valuable business and design advice ensuring that their products that will appeal to the western market. Just Trade are also working with them on their IFAT application, which will give the project official fair trade status.

The women who work for Zoe live in the shantytowns on the outskirts of Lima, and have varying degrees of skill. Just Trade works hard to ensure that work can be provided for people of regardless of their skill levels, and each new collection is designed collaboratively with the women taking into consideration availability of materials and building on existing techniques. They make the products in their own homes enabling them to earn a living wage without having to leave their children and are paid to train others what they have learnt, so the project is enabling increasing numbers of Peru's poorest women and young people to have the opportunity of fairly paid employment.