Saratoga News Photograph by George Sakkestad Saratogan Ann Burris is active with Ten Thousand Villages which is holding a gift faire. Ann Burris is busy with International Gift Faire Third World artisans' work is featured By Shari Kaplan Although its downtown Los Gatos store closed this summer due to location and financial difficulties, the message and mission of the nonprofit Ten Thousand Villages lives on in the Saratoga and Los Gatos residents who volunteer for its cause and in its annual International Gift Faire, which this year takes place Oct. 16 and 17 in the fellowship hall of Lincoln Glen Church in San Jose. The faire comprises hundreds of handicrafts made by artisans in more than 30 Third World countries on the continents of Africa, Asia and South America. Items for sale include baskets, ornaments, toys, rugs, brassware, jewelry and musical instruments. The artisans are often refugees, spouses of "disappeared" human rights workers, or illiterate or landless villagers. The mission of Ten Thousand Villages, a marketing and job-creation program formed by the Mennonite Central Committee, is to sell handicrafts at fair prices and help create economic opportunities that help people to help themselves in the areas of education, healthcare, nutrition and housing. All proceeds of the faire are returned to Ten Thousand Villages, which in turn can stock the shelves of its 60 stores nationwide with more crafts purchased from more artisans. The faire is particularly close to the heart of longtime Saratogan Ann Burris, a volunteer and manager for two years at the former store in Los Gatos. Without a local shop to run, Burris is now busy setting up and organizing the Village Rhythms display at the faire. It's an appropriate setting for Burris, who teaches private piano and guitar lessons. Her area includes flutes from Peru, marimbas from Cameroon, bamboo xylophones from Indonesia, drums from Kenya and Uganda and rain sticks from Chile. "I've always had a special interest in missions, but from a personal perspective. I've given money, but never really felt the personal connection. When I learned of an opening to volunteer in the store in Los Gatos, I was immediately attracted," says Burris, who says she especially enjoys knowing her endeavors help struggling women. "My life is filled with options, but I feel a deep affinity with women in other parts of the world who see no options--their lives are so tied up with meeting what we call the necessities of life," she adds. "Through selling their crafts, formerly through the store and now through the faire, we can help provide them with options." Lincoln Glen Church is located at 2700 Booksin Ave. in the Willow Glen area of San Jose. The faire runs from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Oct. 16 and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 17. At 6:30 p.m. Friday night, percussionist Jimmy Biala of the Philippines and his ensemble perform. At 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning, children from Achiever Christian School sing and play international percussion instruments, followed by a talk on drumming by Joshua Eduke, a college student from Kenya, Africa. For more information, visit the Ten Thousand Villages Web site at www.villages.ca. [ Back to Contents Page | Saratoga News Home Page | Archives ] This article appeared in the Saratoga News, October 14, 1998. ©1998 Metro Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved.