Friends of the Third World, Inc.

In addition to job-training for needy people in Fort Wayne, the house of the Friends of the Third World helps sell products made by exceptional enterprising groups in the Third World, including the Bombolulu Workshop for the Handicapped in Mombasa, Kenya, as well as trying to help Nicaraguan Medical Aid. Friends of the Third World (FOTW) began in 1972 when students and teachers formed a fundraising project to aid the hungry. FOTW currently operates job training programs at its building in Fort Wayne and markets handmade crafts from 80 partner groups in 35 countries. Our most recent financial report shows that almost 80% of the sales price of an item goes back in the form of fair trade payments to the producers. Three paid staff supervise volunteers who contributed more than $100,000 worth of donated labor in the past year. Monies are being raised to provide handicapped access to our 126 year-old building; to repair the roof and purchase some computer programs for job training.