2008 Woodie Awards
From Africa to Newport: World Travelers and Social Entrepreneurs
Meet Katie Dyer and Jane Perkins, owners of Cadeaux du Monde
Mary Cate Kelleher
Issue date: 2/16/05 Section: Entertainment
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Both women have been traveling for a long time, experiencing other cultures and inspiring in them a love of learning and an appreciation for world art.
Perkins's husband was in the Navy,so most of her married life and Dyer's childhood were spent moving all over the country. Originally from Wilmington, North Carolina, Perkins received a certificate in Business at Peace College in Raleigh.
After a brief career as a legal secretary, she became a wife and a mother. She later enrolled at the University of Rhode Island to continue her business studies.
Dyer was born in Philadelphia and graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a degree in theatre arts and a minor in math. After college she joined the Peace Corps and taught high school math in the Central African Republic for two years.
She is currently on the Board of Rhode Island Peace Corps Volunteers. Both women teach a multi-cultural workshop that can be set up by appointment. Currently, they are preparing for the American Heart Association's Art Exhibit "Art for the Heart," and Newport's Annual Gallery Night.
WHAT DOES CADEAUX DU MONDE MEAN?
K. Dyer: Gifts of the World
WHAT EXACTLY IS FAIR TRADE?
K. Dyer: It's fairly traded folk art, directly from the village. There's not a lot of middle men. It's the same idea as fair trade coffee.
J. Perkins: Where the producers actually get a fair price.
K. Dyer: We buy directly from them.
J. Perkins: So they're in control of their prices.
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN IN BUSINESS?
J. Perkins: Since November, 1987.
WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA?
K. Dyer: We both thought of it. I was done with the Peace Corps and my mother was done with raising children and working dead-end jobs. We wanted to have an impact, to help keep cultural heritage alive, and encourage the development of education.
WHAT ABOUT THE COMPETITION?