SEPT 24 MEDIA RELEASE__First Mennonite Church, 101 S Jackson St, will host a free program on October 5 at 4:00 p.m. and fund-raising curry meal at 5:00 p.m.

Local resident Esther Birkey will tell stories from when she lived in Bangladesh and worked for the Fair Trade company Prokritee. Prokritee, which means “nature” in Bengali keeps tons of waste out of landfills and waterways each year, using upcycled sari fabric, eco-friendly dye and tree-free water hyacinth paper. This woman-led enterprise is dedicated to creating safe, sustainable jobs for women in Bangladesh who have often been excluded.

Following the program people are invited to join in a curry meal where an offering will be taken to benefit the Artisan Pathways program of Ten Thousand Villages. Artisan Pathways helps Ten Thousand Villages strengthen its services and support artisans more effectively.

This event commemorates National Fair Trade Month and World Communion Sunday. It is also part of a year-long celebration of the 500th anniversary of Anabaptism, the roots of the Mennonite Church.

Prokritee’s colorful products are sold by Ten Thousand Villages, a nonprofit and Fair Trade store located at 115 S. Main Street in Bluffton.