wfn.org | Ten Thousand Villages keeps the mission

[Mennonite Central Committee Communications]

TOPIC:  TEN THOUSAND VILLAGES KEEPS THE MISSION
DATE:   September 27, 1996
CONTACT:  Deborah Fast
V: 717/859-1151 F: 717/859-2171
E-MAIL ADDRESS:  mailbox@mcc.org

AKRON, Pa. -- SELFHELP Crafts of the World, an MCC
program, changed its name to Ten Thousand Villages,
effective September 20, 1996.

The organization's mission remains the same, however--
to help disadvantaged craftspeople provide food,
adequate housing, health care and education for their
families.  Ten Thousand Villages will continue to provide
vital, fair income to people in poor countries by selling
their handicrafts and telling their stories in North
America, says Paul Myers, director.  The organization
works with artisans who would otherwise be unemployed
or underemployed.  

"Helping people earn an income is one way for us to
serve the poor," says Myers.

Why the name change?
"We want to give a clear and consistent message about
who we are, what we do, why we do it, who we do it with
and how people can become involved," explains Myers. 
SELFHELP Crafts store staff have frequently cited
confusion about the name; stores have been perceived to
be do-it-yourself crafts supply stores.  Marketing
experts suggest a more inviting name will encourage
sales, which in turn will provide more jobs for
craftspeople.

For many craftspeople in poor countries, the village is
where one's heart is--an important symbol of family,
tradition and culture.  In a mass production-oriented
world, villages are still a setting for creating authentic
handicrafts.  By selling these handicrafts in North
America, Ten Thousand Villages helps these communities
survive.

The inspiration for the name Ten Thousand Villages
comes from a Mahatma Gandhi quote: "I have believed
and repeated times without number that India is to be
found not in its few cities but in its 700,000 villages. But
we town dwellers have...hardly ever paused to inquire if
these poor folk get sufficient to eat and clothe
themselves and whether they have a roof to shelter
themselves."

Initial responses to the new name from artisans with
whom Ten Thousand Villages works have been positive. 
A note from the St. Mary's group in Ahmadabad, India,
for example, says, "It was a pleasant and enriching
experience to read of your new name and theme. Ten
Thousand Villages touches the Indian nerve very
deeply... The meaning of the logo has been a tremendous
source of inspiration."

Over the next year many shops throughout North
America will assume the new identity.

                         -30-

Deborah Fast, MCC Communications
27september1996

MCC photo available: Mennonite Central Committee and
Ten Thousand Villages staff unveil the new sign at the
Akron, Pa., headquarters.  September 20 marked the
official launch of Ten Thousand Villages, the new name
for SELFHELP Crafts of the World.  The launch was
celebrated simultaneously at the Ten Thousand Villages
Canada headquarters in New Hamburg, Ont. (Photo
courtesy of John Spidaliere of the Ephrata Review)