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60th Anniversary
 From a small group of church relief workers helping refugees rebuild after World War II, SERRV has grown into a $9.5 million fair trade network connecting thousands of artisans in developing countries with customers and volunteers across the United States.
As Sunil Chitrakar, director of SERRV’s partner Mahaguthi in Nepal, said, “Longer than many of our lives, SERRV has served humankind!...SERRV made history; becoming one of very few organizations who served more than five decades for the artisans and producers around the world. It started as an idealistic dream to help the poor and turned into Fair Trade.”
(click on timeline image below for a larger view)
View a "SERRV Celebrates 60" press release.
Notes from our partners for SERRV's 60th:
We are happy and proud of your 60 years of trading. Through our trading relation and profound partnership, Thai Tribal Crafts has been able to help many needy tribal people to improve their living conditions, provide education for their children and family economy. SERRV International has provided financial assistance as well as technical knowledge in the capacity building of Thai Tribal Crafts.
Harry Wathittayakul
Thai Tribal Crafts, Thailand
To all the wonderful and dedicated employees, volunteers and friends who created and managed SERRV for the past 60 years, CONGRATULATIONS!
That anniversary is a reminder to all that your sense of solidarity and your work have made a difference in so many people’s lives.
On behalf of the hundreds of Haitian artisans, part of the thousands if not millions you are helping live a better life with dignity, THANKS!
And 60 more, PLEASE!!
Gisèle Fleurant
Comite Artisanal Haitien, Haiti
On the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of SERRV International, it is both a pleasure and an honor for us to express our congratulations and good wishes. Sixty years of successful service is a significant milestone. We believe solid partnerships, dedicated volunteerism, devoted staff and the long-term commitment demonstrated through continued support to grassroots artisans are the traits which has attributed to the success of SERRV. We applaud SERRV for maintaining its commitment towards fair trade and promoting grassroots producers.
We have had the privilege of working with SERRV for over two decades. Working together with SERRV has been a source of strength and inspiration to us. Without this partnership and solidarity, we would not have been able to make a life-changing impact on our artisans.
It is an honor to have such a close and strong alliance with SERRV and we’re confident that we will continue to strive together for attaining our common goal of serving more marginalized producers adhering to fair trade ethics in the days ahead.
Meera Bhattarai
Association for Craft Producers, Nepal
Congratulations from all of us at Sasha. SERRV gives special and personal attention to each of the producer organizations it works with and we are certain that it will retain this quality as it continues to grow. We love the line “a gift that gives twice.” It captures the essence of Fair Trade. Have a great celebration to mark your 60 years of Fair trade. We wish you every success in your future journey and hope to be around to celebrate your 100th!
Roopa Mehta
Sasha, India
At our small organization, Fundación Solidaridad in Santiago de Chile, many times we have asked how and why SERRV has become an organization so close and dear to us, one that we mention, introduce to others, and care about as if it were one of our own. How can that be, when they are so far away, when we don’t speak the same language, when if it is cold here it is warm there…But none of this has been important. With SERRV we have learned to speak the same language, that of transparency, equality, solidarity, and hope for a better world.
Throughout all these years, during visits from our dear friend Bob Chase, he has made note of the needs of our now 700 producers, whether it has been a women’s workshop that didn’t have tools, or that our computers were more than 12 years old, or that we couldn’t afford the costs of a trip to attend an important meeting, and SERRV has come up with the needed funds.
For us, SERRV and each and every one of its workers have not only put into practice FAIR TRADE.
They have partnered with the most humble and small.
They have demonstrated that their commitment and solidarity goes far beyond mere philanthropy.
They have invented a common language, where it doesn’t matter if some of us speak English and others Spanish because we all believe, practice, struggle for and dream about the same thing: a world of Justice and
Peace for all.
Bravo to our friends at SERRV!
Bravo to its President, our dear friend Bob Chase!
Winnie Lira
Fundación Solidaridad, Chile
On the auspicious occasion of SERRV celebrating 60 fruitful years in fair trade, my colleagues and I here in Asha Handicrafts, Mumbai, send our heartiest congratulations to Bob and the entire team for the outstanding service that they have rendered to thousands of artisans, craftsmen and families, these past many years.
Our relationship with SERRV dates back to the early formation of our organization and the establishment of fair trade principles in the early ‘70s. These many years have been precious years to us where we have learnt a lot and grown from strength to strength with SERRV’s support.
On behalf of the entire fraternity of producers, partners, artisans, master-craftsmen, staff, board colleagues and our families, we congratulate SERRV on the yeomen service rendered to each stakeholder in and through Bob’s leadership at the helm. May SERRV continue to grow and prosper, and spread the message of fair trade in North America! May it have an impact as a viable alternative toward alleviating poverty and providing sustainable livelihoods to thousands of families not only in our country, India, but the numerous countries and continents that SERRV’s purchases impact!
Lucas Caldeira
Mumbai, India
TARA PROJECTS INDIA OFFERS GRATEFUL CONGRATULATIONS TO SERRV ON ITS 60th GLORIOUS ANNIVERSARY !!!
SERRV International a FAIR TRADE organization of great human values, social justice and world peace.
Tara Projects at New Delhi in India is an honored partner of SERRV International for the last 3 to 4 decades. There are many stories of producers' development that now exist to be told which emerged as the result of long historical cooperation between the two organizations. This partnership has thus become a great example of fair trade sustainability in the history of fair trade. Tara Projects is a thankful witness and partner in the change brought by SERRV in the world of poverty and sufferings. We owe our success to the timely guidance and all round support from SERRV International.
All the producers in Tara Projects thank SERRV International wholeheartedly and most truly and wish this great organization a further successful and glorious future.
Moon Sharma
Tara Projects, India
Manos Amigas would like to congratulate the SERRV family for their 60th anniversary, which we are sure they earned by hard work, effort and dedication. It is possible that many of you do not imagine the results in Peru, but we can tell you that thanks to SERRV, many producers had better economic income, were able to better their workshops, their homes and provide better education for their children.
We would encourage you to keep working with optimism. Congratulations.
Yannina Meza de Rietveld
Manos Amigas, Peru
On the occasion of the 60th Anniversary of the existence of SERRV, we the basket weavers of Bolgatanga want to say a very big THANK YOU!!
Through your effort:
We have built the capacity to work as a group
We can now make baskets that will sell in the U.S. market.
We have experienced increase in income.
We have food on our tables and are able to send our children to school.
We have been able to pay our health insurance premiums.
Your partnership with TradeAID is no doubt a saviour to us.
We once again say big THANK YOU!!!
TradeAID Integrated, Ghana
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| "Thanks to the purchases from SERRV, the families of the artisans can better their life conditions." - Rev. Diego Chicoj Ramos - Ruth & Nohemi, Guatemala |
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