Trading places for Oxfam

NEW LIFE:Rachael O'Sullivan left television and London for Oxfam Ireland in Cork

GETTING CAUGHT up in the London bombings in July 2005 led Rachael O'Sullivan to reassess her priorities in life and to make the decision to leave behind her high-flying career in the television media industry.

Leaving her job in London and moving back to her native Cork also meant giving up her glossy lipstick, designer shoe lifestyle but, amazingly, she doesn't miss any of it.

Working as a full-time volunteer for Oxfam Ireland's Fair Trade shops in Cork and Galway city is a big change from the world of media, but it's an ideal move for O'Sullivan as it reflects both sides of her personality - the capitalistic and ethical.

"I enjoyed the buzz of my job in London, but I always felt there was something missing. Fair Trade represents for me the ability to bring both sides of my nature together and offers me the chance to use the skills I have learnt to help others," she says.

O'Sullivan has taken on the PR and marketing role for the Cork and Galway Oxfam shops in an effort to let people know more about Fair Trade and the work Oxfam is doing in this area.

The Cork woman left Ireland at 18 to study for a Media BSc in Farnborough College of Technology. She won a scholarship with BSkyB and became a trainee camera woman for Sky Sports and Sky News. She then went on to become a vision mixer and later delved into the business development aspect of the industry.

She combined these skills with a post-graduate diploma in PR and marketing at the London School of Journalism.

It was when she narrowly escaped the London bombings in 2005 by about five minutes that O'Sullivan decided it was time to make some changes in her life and she moved back to Ireland with her boyfriend to be close to her family.

Leaving her hectic career behind her, she started working in PR and marketing on a part-time basis in Cork while volunteering at Oxfam's Fair Trade shop on French Church Street in an effort to meet more people.

"I began to learn more about the lives of people in Asia, Africa, India and South America and this was when the impact that Fair Trade can have hit me. Fair Trade is a form of capitalism that is based on co-operation and equality. It does not ask for charity or handouts, just fair pricing and the ability to earn a minimum wage that allows communities to educate their children and slowly develop their infrastructure."

O'Sullivan explains that Fair Trade began in the 1950s with several overseas development NGOs such as Oxfam selling products through its traditional charity shops that had been made by partners overseas. It has come a long way since then - there are now more than 79,000 points of sale throughout Europe including nearly 3,000 independent outlets such as Oxfam Ireland Fair Trade shops.

As well as paying a fairer price, she points out, Fair Trade empowers producers, creates market opportunities, provides partial payment in advance, promotes safe and healthy working conditions and purchases directly from producers.

As well as her volunteer work with Oxfam, O'Sullivan is currently training as a pilates teacher, another area of her life she is passionate about at the moment. She had saved enough money in London to allow her to take a year out to devote to her volunteering work and is hopeful that her career as a pilates teacher will allow her to continue this work in the future.

"It's a completely different world. I miss my friends in London but I don't miss anything else about it at this stage, even all the fabulous shoes! The change is not as hard as I thought it would be cutting back on money and things but what I'm getting from my voluntary work is far more satisfying."

From time to time when she is needed, O'Sullivan helps out in the Cork Fair Trade shop where she enjoys meeting the customers who come from every background, creed and race. They include students, ethical shoppers and loyal customers who buy food products on a weekly basis.

She is also kept busy organising Fair Trade events, such as the recent Peace and Positivity Festival in Cork.

"I think there's a lot of confusion about what Fair Trade is about and I want to challenge the stereotypes that Fair Trade means lower quality and higher prices, because it actually doesn't anymore.

"Oxfam Fair Trade is not just about selling products - it's about education and development training and lots more. The products we sell in the shops are very high quality and not expensive as they were 10 years ago," O'Sullivan explains.

There are Oxfam Fair Trade shops in Cork, Dublin, Galway and Belfast and products can also be purchased directly from its website at www.oxfamireland.org.