Moroccan native opens fair trade shop in Wauwatosa



WAUWATOSA -- Morocco native Allen Christian went to college, then moved to Asia, where he could only find work in a sweat shop. Then Christian and his wife moved to Wisconsin, and opened a fair trade shop off North Avenue in Wauwatosa. Christian's Fair Trade For All shop ensures the workers who made the items he sells are treated and paid properly.

"The mission of our store is to create a marketplace that can advocate for artisans that are not in the position to advocate for themselves," Christian said.

One step inside christian's shop is like a trip around the world. Christian says he's blessed with a busy store and a brighter future, after a difficult past, working in a sweat shop. "I went to college like everybody, and I had to go and work. There is a broker who would arrange for (work), and they pack you into a cab, ship you to the place, and you can't leave until they give you permission to leave. So it was like a prison," Christian said.

Fair treatment is all that many people in our world are looking for, and many of us don't think about that when we shop. This week, a percentage of the store's sales will go to fight human trafficking.