From Durban, South Africa to  Cambridge
a b a n t u was born out of a desire to blow away the myth that third world goods and crafts are inferior and that most fairtrade are homemade to highest quality.

We are a family based business running a little country shop on a country curve in the village of Bourn just outside Cambridge. The Slade family ( Alan, Wendy and Paige) left Durban, South Africa 10 years ago to start a new life.  Our son Zane was born here in Cambridge at the Rosie in 2002.

Seeing the poverty from the other side of the world, I wondered if we could make a difference somehow, even if just in a very small way and use my finance degree to make a living at the same time. First on the agenda was where, and prayers were answered as we were offered the lovely old stables on Manor Farm.

The Inspiration behind abantu

In summer of 2004 whilst in France I took a book with me which confirmed that if we could pull this off  a b a n t u could help. God's golden acre, the autobiography of Heather Reynolds, tells the story of how one woman made a huge difference, by changing the lives of so many children orphaned from Aids in the poverty area of the Valley of a Thousand hills between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in South Africa.  Heather and her sculptor husband Patrick established a community for orphans, where nearly 100 children find sanctuary from abuse, poverty, and starvation. The sick can die with dignity. Teams of volunteers risk danger distributing basic food supplies to the many scattered families, most headed by a granny or teenage girl. Each day they rub shoulders with death. 36% of the local people are infected with AIDS – the highest percentage of any area in Africa. For many dying mothers, Heather is the last hope for their children.
In the early years, Heather and Patrick dedicated their entire savings to the orphans and fighting the AIDS pandemic. They faced financial ruin, white and black prejudice, indifference, cruelty and a bureaucracy overwhelmed by need. Often there wasn’t enough to eat. Yet time and again, through a series of miracles, and Heather’s resolute faith, donors stepped in, touched and challenged by the spirit of awethu – the Zulu word for “Our Mother”.

Under Construction....

Whilst the stables were under construction the idea continued to elvolve into   a b a n t u   and we opened our doors on Friday the 18th August 2006.  On the way I met fabulous people in a world where everyone loved what they were doing. They believe it is possible to supply customers with both style and ethics in a way that upholds the dignity of those along the supply chain.

Trade can be done differently respecting the world around us, making a way for individuals and communities to trade their way out of poverty by saving fast disappearing skills to gain new ones and having the resources to educate their children. Trading in a way help the people in poorest of communities.

Celebrations

On the 5th October 2006 we celebrated the opening of   a b a n t u   as well as the Source coffee shop next door. Around 80 people shared the evening with us as the wind blew gales around us.   We were fortunate enough to have Elaine Storky, chairperson of Tear Fund, join in the celebrations by giving an inspiring talk on fairtrade and how we can help.  At  a b a n t u  we are keen to do our bit for poverty and consider it throughout our business, believing that fairtrade builds a better future on producers own abilities.

We created   a b a n t u  as a place for you to shop for products that reduce the impact we make on the world.  We would love to share this with you, so please come in to see us.