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Coronavirus features in the headlines of pretty much every newspaper globally right now.

The pandemic is taking up most of the news agenda, and rightly so.

But while we are so intently focused on this single issue, it's easy to lose sight of what else is happening - a fact that governments and big companies are taking advantage of.

The saying 'never let a good crisis go to waste' is great advice - if you want to push through laws which strip away workers' rights, avoid discussing the full consequences of your new trade deal, or quietly refuse to honour your payment contracts with garment factories.

There's rarely been a better time for exploitation.

Those in power know the world isn't watching - and they are taking advantage. But there's something you can do to help.

Fashion brands in Europe and North America have cancelled contracts with suppliers during coronavirus. Work for homeworkers has dried up completely. It''s very unlikely homeworkers will see pay or compensation.

Many brands ignore homeworkers. Many publicly deny that homeworkers work in their supply chains at all.

Women homeworkers help make so many of the clothes and shoes that we buy.

We think brands should recognise and celebrate homeworkers. A blanket ban on homework just leaves women out of work.

It''s time to give homeworkers the same rights as all workers.

Over the last two years, Morzina has taken part in a project run by Traidcraft Exchange, called 'Muktee' (Freedom), helping people leave slavery behind for good.

She''s joined with others like her to demand that their basic rights are met. She''s learnt new skills to help her earn a decent income.

Thanks to the support of people like you, she's been able to leave slavery behind - and reclaim her lemon tree.

We've seen time and again that a brighter future is possible - even in the middle of this crisis.

But for every story of success there are many more people whose journey out of slavery is seriously under threat.

It's fair to say there's been a lot of news to keep up with in the last six months.

You might, for example, have missed the heartwarming news that Brazil's turtle population has been returning to empty beaches.

Or that here in the UK, a number of post boxes were painted a rather delightful shade of blue to celebrate the NHS.

You may well have missed the news that, according to CNN, people from the Punjab were able to enjoy a view of the Himalayas for the first time in decades due to the drop in air pollution caused by lockdowns.

But the really exciting news you might not have seen? Well...

Here at Traidcraft Exchange, we've got a brand new, planet saving, day making, smile creating set of Charity Gift Cards!

Over 2,500 amazing people like you supported this appeal and together you''ll help us change the lives of thousands. 

Your kindness and generosity has been overwhelming.  

Over the last few weeks we've shared with you some of the stories of families facing crisis and a return to slavery this Christmas.  

Stories like those of Suresh, who''s fighting to protect his community from ruthless moneylenders, and Anjoli, who worked hard to pay off her debts only to find coronavirus crippling her fledging tailoring business - forcing her to borrow money at huge interest rates just to survive.  

This Christmas will not be easy for vulnerable communities.  

But because of your kindness that Traidcraft Exchange will be able to bring communities together so they can repay their debts, challenge illegal practices like crippling interest rates, and get basic supplies like food and soap to help them through the immediate crisis.  

Thanks to you, thousands of families facing a return to debt bondage will be able to get the support they need to get through this crisis, and rebuild their livelihoods - so they can build a brighter, more resilient future.  

Thank you for ensuring that this Christmas won't be the year families are forced back into slavery.  

We look forward to sharing news and updates with you in the future. 
 

The Traidcraft Exchange Team

Seif Jegba lives in Dar es Salam, Tanzania.

He's living in a state of uncertainty, worrying about the impact the pandemic is having on his income. Like all of us, he's desperate to keep up to date with advice on how to keep safe.

Two things make this a little more complicated for Seif.

The first? He lives in Tanzania, where it is widely suspected that President Magufuli is in denial about the extent of Coronavirus in his country.

With no official infection figures released since May, it's hard to know the extent the virus has spread - though in May the US embassy warned that many hospitals in the city had been "overwhelmed" by suspected cases.

The second difficulty? Seif is blind

''As blind people we have spent a lot of time gaining an understanding about coronavirus. The information is not accessible. as it is not in a braille format, which leads us to miss some important information about the disease and how to protect ourselves.

We need to hear a voice with clear instructions, and this is something which has not been done by majority of those educating people about coronavirus.''

Life was hard enough before the crisis.

People living with disabilities worldwide are less likely to access health care, education and employment - but more likely to live in poverty and experience violence.

We were helping people like Seif to build up their farms, strengthen their voice in negotiations and earn the respect they were rightfully due as valuable members of the community.

But now the challenges are greater.

Your support today can help provide people with disabilities like Seif with the two things they really need.

Firstly, accessible resources - face masks, protective equipment and information written in braille.

Secondly, a voice with clear instructions - with your help, people like Seif can attend socially distanced training sessions, helping them to adapt their farming and selling to the new reality.

Simple things that could change everything for people with disabilities.  

We cannot recover from this crisis unless we all recover together. That starts with the most vulnerable.

Will you donate today to protect and support people like Seif?

When you've no money and you need to feed your family, your choices are limited. 

You own nothing, and you've no farm or crops to sell, no land to mortgage. 

The only option you have is to borrow money. In return you promise the only thing you have - your labour. 

You've no choice who to borrow from - the only option is the local land owner and loan shark.

There's no negotiating terms, or written agreements. You know you're selling your future - you'll be working without payment for at least a year. 

But your family need to eat now. So you take the money, and live with the consequences - a future trapped by debt, where despite working every day on someone else's land, you'll take home nothing. 

This is the reality for people like Anjani and her husband. 

"My husband went to the village money lender and borrowed 1 thousand taka on the condition that he would repay it within the next one year by working on the lender's fields. The next year my husband and I had to work on the lender's field together to repay our loans. But due to working for repaying the loan, we couldn't work elsewhere on other fields to earn money to run the family. As a result, we had to borrow money again from the money lender. So it came down to having to work for 3 years straight for repaying our loans." - Anjani.

With your help, we can provide emergency food aid and raise awareness of labour rights. We can support people to earn their own income, in new ways which are free from exploitation, by providing skills training and help setting up cooperative - actions which will continue to change lives long after this pandemic.

Together, we can help communities recover from this crisis and build a future free from modern slavery.

A confession:

For years, I've felt uncomfortable working in international development.

When I lived in Malawi, I first witnessed how international charities could often dominate civil society, pushing out the voices of local organisations and communities and capturing large proportions of project budgets for themselves.

I couldn't articulate clearly back then that racism was part of the problem. It seems so obvious now. Read More

A lot has gone on this year, to say the least. It's been incredibly tough for so many people - both here in the UK, and across the whole world. 

But Christmas is a time for hope - a chance to make the world anew. And what better way to celebrate this year, than by giving gifts which really matter? 

A Charity Gift card is a gift of hope, and optimism. A gift which says, 'Let's build a brighter future next year'. And after this year, what's not to like about that? 

Don't forget, you can still enter our raffle - whether for yourself, or by buying a ticket for friends or family!  

A fun stocking filler idea, or a great alternative to an e- gift, a lucky ticket could see the winner take home a piece of amazing artwork by British artist Cherrie Mansfield, a delicious Traidcraft hamper or win a voucher for a luxury glamping experience! 

With 24 hours left to go on the Recovery Appeal, this is not the email we wanted to write.

But if we've learnt anything from the past few months, it's that the world can change rapidly - and that recovery is a long road.

This morning Shahed - our Country Director in Bangladesh - shared news of a nation in crisis. Things are worse than we thought.

He told us.

"With heavy heart and sheer frustration, I have to share with you that many people who have graduated from poverty during last couple of decades, are now falling back into poverty."

Coronavirus continues to threaten the progress we've made. For those who thought they had left poverty behind for good, the future is worrying. But change is possible in the darkest of situations.

Shahed knows this well. Over the years he has been on the team we've seen hundreds of thousands of people take steps towards a better future - co-operatives formed, harvests improved, earnings increased, children educated and families fed.

But now that progress is threatened.

We can only recover if we do this together. There are only 24 hours left to donate to the Recovery Appeal, and we need your help.

Shahed explains more.


"People are leaving Dhaka at an exponential rate, which is affecting many others who rely on renting out houses, apartments and huts. On top of this, a third of Bangladesh is now underwater because of flooding.

Without adequate support, poor people are in dire conditions. This is absolutely heart breaking.

People who were doing well only a few months back are now asking secretly for help. They are trying to sell everything they can, but there is no buyer."


Crops are destroyed, and fields are flooded. The possibility of famine looms heavily. It's a stark reminder that Recovery isn't just about simply surviving lockdown.

It's about building a radically different world, where we face up to the twin crises of climate change and global inequality, and demand justice for the most vulnerable.

Together, we can protect the poorest people during this crisis. We can take the first steps on the road to recovery and a better future.

As Shahed and his team make plans to adapt to these new challenges, we need your help to support as many people as possible.

With just 24 hours left to donate to the Recovery Appeal, your support could make all the difference.

Last Christmas, Rumali was blazing a new trail for the women of her community.  

This Christmas, with hunger and debt threatening her family, she's facing a forced marriage.  

Rumali has always been determined her future will be different. That's why she joined Traidcraft Exchange's project - to learn new skills which would help her leave behind the debt bondage for good. She was well on the way to achieving her dreams, until coronavirus hit.  

This time last year, the future looked bright for Rumali. She was earning a decent income as an electrician in Dakar and helping her parents to pay off their debt.  

Then coronavirus changed everything. Rumali's independence was snatched from her, as factories closed and lockdowns began. All over Bangladesh, workers returned to their villages, often spending all their savings just to get home.  

"Because of the coronavirus pandemic, my factory was closed and I lost my job and all my hopes again. I became the biggest burden of my parents.  Before this pandemic, my parents could eat twice a day." 

The economic situation is worsening, and for many families, taking on more debt is the only way to get through this crisis.  

"Yesterday my mother again went to the landlord to take out a loan for the fourth time. For 3 of us this will take a minimum of 2 years for repaying the loan and the extra interest. 

Throughout my life I have witnessed my family work in bonded labour. During my whole life my only dream has been to get rid of this curse of cruel debt bondage." 

It doesn't have to be this way. Rumali's dream can still come true - she''s already shown it's possible. 

With your support, Traidcraft Exchange can bring people together so they can get the basic supplies they need to help them through this crisis, and don't have to return to slavery just to survive.  

Together, we can ensure that the progress people have made towards a brighter future isn't lost.

Will you take this final chance to give a gift this Christmas and provide the support communities need to get through this crisis and back on their feet?  

Dear Jon,

Thank you for all you do...

The summer is often the time we look back on the year that''s just been. It''s fair to say that it has not been as we expected.

But in these uncertain times we know one thing for sure - that the actions you've taken - giving, campaigning and raising money to change lives - over the last 12 months have made a huge difference to the world's most vulnerable communities.

We''ve picked out 5 highlights for you here and you can see the full year in review at the bottom of this email.


1. Where it begins

The good work that you''re about to see only happens because of your generosity and commitment. Your support means we can speak out on issues of injustice, and help the poorest communities work towards a brighter future.

2. The power of trade

This is the power of trade, when it''s done well: that disadvantaged people can come together, invest in their skills and knowledge - and work their own way out of poverty. The increase in income is sustainable because these women now know how to run successful businesses and make their voices heard in negotiations.

3. The path to freedom

Through no fault of their own many people are trapped in endless cycles of debt and poverty - but with your support we''re helping 8,000 people in India and Bangladesh to leave modern slavery behind for good.

4. Hidden hands

'Homeworkers' are the hidden hands behind the products we love, but they are paid a pittance and never know how much - or how little - work they will get. This year we''ve started working to change all that to make sure that homeworkers are given the respect they deserve.

5. More than numbers

So much of the difference your support has made this year can''t be captured in simple statistics. Instead you see it in the lives of people like Anangisye who runs a farm while living with a disability. He has joined a group of like-minded farmers and now he''s not just improving his income - he''s feeling more confident and powerful. He has a place where he belongs. This is so often the impact that matters most.

 

"We can survive with the money from our farmers group. We will survive somehow." 

But these groups can help with more than basic survival. Joint savings schemes mean people can invest in their futures - buying new seeds or better farming equipment which they otherwise couldn''t afford.  
 

With your help we can reach more communities like Modhumita's, and support them to set up life changing farmers' associations.  
 

Longer term, coming together in a formal group empowers people - to take charge of their own fate, invest in their own futures, and support others around them.  

In Bangladesh, several of the more established groups we work alongside, unable to sell their vegetables at markets or meet together for training, have distributed their harvests to the very poorest - offering a lifeline of support to their neighbours.  

Julekha, a group president, explained: "Because of the [Traidcraft Exchange] project, we are now financially strong and we got the idea to help the poor. This was a decision we all took together."

The need for social distancing during this crisis doesn't mean facing things alone. In fact, it has underlined how much we all depend on one another and shown us that when we work together, we can change things for the better.  
 

With your support, vulnerable farmers and artisans can work together to recover from this crisis - and in turn, help others in their communities to build a brighter future.  

Because together, we are stronger and more resilient.  

It''s time to stop.

The whole world is doing it... no more commuting, gathering or shaking hands.

The list of things we have to stop seems bigger than the list of things we''re still allowed to do.

But look a bit deeper and you''ll see that we aren''t stopping because we are defeated - we''re stopping because we will not be beaten.

We''re stopping to protect the vulnerable in society. We''re stopping to save lives.

Your inaction, is the best possible action.

Many are talking about their fears right now and it is certainly right to be cautious. But today we want to talk about our hopes.

Because there is value in stopping, and it could look like this...


We learn to stop polluting

Researchers in New York are reporting a near 50% reduction in carbon monoxide compared to this time last year.

Perhaps this is a time where we can learn the value of reducing our emissions and our impact on the earth in the long term.


We learn to stop consuming

Forget about panic buying toilet rolls for a second and you can see that many of us are learning about what we really need - not focusing on the next big purchase.

Perhaps this is the time where we understand the value of what we consume and give our products and the people who make them the respect they deserve.


We learn to stop hating

''Lands apart, sky shared'' 

A quote from an ancient poem written on a shipment of masks and thermometers that was sent from Japan to China.

Perhaps this is the time we realise that we share the same earth - and many of the same problems. Perhaps a common adversary will unite us.


It might sound idealistic 

...to talk too much of hope right now. 

But rest assured that we will be giving you practical ways that you can make the world a better, fairer place over the next weeks and months.

We''ll start with a short guide to the implications of the coronavirus on international trade and developing countries that will be with you next week.

Until then you can contact us any time by emailing hello@traidcraft.org - and if you feel compelled to support us in this difficult time, you can support us here.
 

Thank you for everything you do.