Felted animal garlands from Nepal hang beside rain sticks from Chile.
Customers stepping into the Kizuri fair trade shop in the Community Building at 35 W. Main step out of downtown Spokane and into the world of fair trade products from Nigeria to Nepal, Pakistan to Peru, Guatemala to Ghana.
Colorful recycled sari throws hanging over a bar were once worn by women in India. A terracotta good luck pig from Pomaire, Chile, is on one shelf. A tablecloth from West Pakistan is on another. There are Phoenician glass candlesticks, a recycled metal Mama statue from Kenya with long arms for hanging jewelry and a handcarved Adinkra king’s stool from Ghana. African drums and other musical instruments surround a post.
There are candles, trivets, soap, cards, books, CDs, jewelry, baskets,
knickknacks, wall hangings, bowls, cups, clothing and nearly 2,000 items from more than 40 countries.
Tags on the items that tell stories about the lives of artisans and their traditional crafts often start conversations, eliciting customers’ experiences in other countries.
Kizuri, which has been there for 11 years, now has a new owner. It changed hands on May 1.