2 minute read
Fighting Injustice For Almost Four Decades - Jenny Medhurt's Story
Image via Darlington & Stockton Times, Jenny pictured far right.
FIGHTING INJUSTICE FOR OVER FOUR DECADES:
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JENNY MEDHURST’S STORY
This month’s shout out has to go to Jenny Medhurst, an inspirational woman, passionately part of the fair trade movement. A fighter for justice and equality for all, Jenny has done so much good for Traidcraft over the years. Her involvement with fair trade spans over four decades, and it is our privilege to share just some of her many highlights with you. While studying for her PGCE, Jenny taught in Nigeria and joined the World Development Movement (WDM), which campaigns for global justice. After two years with the Voluntary Service Overseas teaching in Malaysia, Jenny returned to a teaching job in Middlesbrough, becoming a member of the Ashram community, a Christian group which commits to putting faith into action. “Fairtrade is such a simple and powerful way to change lives. It brings dignity, self esteem and empowerment, especially for women - and just by swapping what we shop!”
“Farmers don't want charity – just to be paid a fair price for what they grow, and surely there's no question of doing any other? And it's critical now that they are on the frontline of the climate crisis, so that they can adapt and protect themselves and the planet – our shared home.” "Traidcraft has shown that it is possible to make trade work for the poor, and Traidcraft Exchange campaigns to transform the way UK trade works and for better business practices."
A visit to the Middlesbrough Ashram House in 1978 by Konathu John, a 'Dalith missionary in reverse' from India, inspired Jenny to visit him in Kerala and see how landless labourers were being helped to understand their rights, improve their income and take more control of their lives. She came back to Britain with screwpine fibre placemats they had made, just at the time that Traidcraft started and became one of the first reps – number 007. Jenny met her husband, Frank, through WDM tea. They asked for goats and sewing machines for Kerala for wedding presents and visited Konathu John and the WDM tea estate in Sri Lanka on their honeymoon. From 2002 to 2005, Jenny helped to run an Ashram House for homeless asylum seekers in Stockton. She shared their heart-breaking stories, which countered the misinformation which she said many local people believed. Each Christmas, Jenny ran her fair trade shop in a different location – 33 in 33 years! She still supplies church stalls, individual customers and runs stalls at community and regional events around the fair trade message. You can read more about Jenny’s journey in the Darlington and Stockton Times piece, here.
