A very different type of shop has opened in the Village at 6055 North College Avenue. The Village Experience opened a few months ago offering fair trade products from around the world. According to www.fairtrade.net, "Fairtrade is an alternative approach to conventional trade and is based on a partnership between producers and consumers. Fairtrade offers producers a better deal and improved terms of trade. This allows them the opportunity to improve their lives and plan for their future. Fairtrade offers consumers a powerful way to reduce poverty through their every day shopping."

A number of local shops carry fair trade products. Kelly and Anne Campbell, owners of The Village Experience, take this a step further. The sisters take regular trips around the world to develop new products in developing nations. They help groups of artists develop a sustainable business plan to market their products. Kelly and Anne are also working with hotels and safari lodges to offer more of these fair trade goods in their gift shops.

Want a new travel experience? Part of what The Village Experience offers is world travel. These trips give the participants a real-life cultural education with a behind-the-scenes look by visiting the villages where the store's products are made.

The Village Experience has a wide range of products including clothing, gifts, home decorations, and jewelry. Each product has a tag that explains the backstory-where it was made, who made it, how the lives of the artists were improved, etc.

The Gazette welcomes The Village Experience to the Village.