When a student graduates from college, his or her life and the world outside becomes a blank canvas. Anything is possible, no matter what degree he or she has received. Though the degree may seem like a direct line to where that student may want to be in life, every once in a while, that straight line may turn and veer into a direction in which it was never intended.
For Margaret Buell, her line on the blank canvas would turn, veer and curve into places and worlds she never imagined she would be. However, the path in which her line turned would not only help her discover the world outside but what it truly means to love and cherish what life has to offer today.
Buell, a MSU graduate with a degree in communication, has always been used to being on the go. The Mississippi native would often move with her father, a Methodist minister, throughout the state, from church to church. Shortly after her graduation from MSU in 2002, Buell moved to Florida to work for Cellular South as a marketing specialist. However, fate would soon bring her back home as she was transferred back to Tupelo where she now calls home.
In November 2005, Buell decided to take a “vision” trip to Ghana, a small country located in western Africa. After a brief couple of weeks, Buell returned home, and in June 2006, she became a freelance videographer for The Mission Society, a missionary group founded in 1984 that promotes Christian impact in over 35 countries. Soon, Buell moved to Accra, Ghana’s capital and largest city with a population of over 3 million people. For two years, Buell learned the culture and the people, and since the official language of Ghana was English, no language barriers had to be tackled. Little did she know that the lack of obstacles in Ghana would lead to an encounter that would change her life forever.
In 2006, while accompanying a friend to purchase a water bottle, Buell met a young woman named Amanda Farouk. At Farouk’s stand, there was a huge array of handcrafted items, including purses, handbags and dresses. The items really caught Buell’s eyes so she purchased them and would soon bring friends to Farouk’s stand so they could purchase items as well. This led to many conversations between Buell and Farouk and soon a friendship was formed. During their conversations, not only did they learn both were 31 years old and single, but in a city of 3 million people, they were only a couple of streets apart. Before returning home in 2008, Buell purchased many of Farouk’s bags to bring home as gifts for her friends and family. Her stay in Ghana and her friendship with Farouk stirred a passionate determination to help the people of Ghana and her friend. One problem presented itself immediately: where would she start?
“One morning in May, I woke up and said, ‘If I’m going to do this, I need to get busy,'” Buell said. “It was time to get my butt into gear.”
She soon enlisted the help of a friend who owned a small business to begin what would soon be known as Ghana Goods.
Ghana Goods would become a fair trade organization. Fair trade is defined as a marketing movement based on helping developing countries, such as Ghana, with trading conditions creating and sustaining stability and social awareness. This would mean Farouk would trade her handcrafted items with Buell, and she would, in turn, pay Farouk a fair wage for the merchandise and her services.
A friend of Buell helped her draw up a wholesale list of the bags, purses and other merchandise Buell still had from her last trip to Ghana in the summer of 2009. After the wholesale list was drawn, Buell registered and received her privileged license. By the end of a few short days, Buell had three boutiques ready to sell Ghana Goods merchandise at their stores: The Main Attraction in Tupelo and two boutiques in Corinth and Fulton. Not only did Buell have clients, she also had over $1,000 in pre-orders. However, with extreme highs follow extreme lows.
After a postponement in June 2010, Buell would not find herself back in Ghana until October of the same year. For the next few weeks, Buell and Farouk discussed the new line of merchandise and gave the items names, an obstacle that had presented itself back in June when the wholesale was conducted. Another obstacle had also presented itself: How were the goods supposed to get from Ghana to the United States?
Buell would take plastic tubs and pack them full of merchandise from Ghana. The tubs would weigh as much as 50 pounds, and there would be more than one. Shipping internationally is expensive so Buell would pack as much as she could with her and put the rest on the plane for the trip home.
After returning home, Buell received disheartening news. Two of the three boutiques had gone out of business, leaving Buell with extra pre-ordered merchandise. But hope was on the horizon.
In Tupelo, Buell had a friend who owned a small restaurant known as Café 212. After discussing several options as to what to do with Ghana Goods, Buell came up with Fair Trade Fridays. Here, a mutually beneficial situation would arise. Not only would Buell have a venue to sell her items, her friend would have attention drawn to her restaurant.
For two months, Buell put up her booth at the restaurant in Tupelo and sold Ghana Goods to those who walked by. This grabbed the attention of local media outlets, including the Tupelo Daily Journaland Delta Talk, a radio news show. After this success, an art show known as 212 Local Market began in January 2011. Here, not only were Ghana Goods be presented but so were local artisans with their own handcrafted items.
In many developing countries, trade is often taken advantage of, and those who do the work are not paid what they are owed. However, many of them do not know it. Fair trade is what it is: fair, honest and profitable.
While Buell is here in the United States, Farouk knits, weaves and sews the purses, bags and dresses and readies them for the next trade. Volunteers help with the process and the materials are provided by local textile factories in Ghana.
In short term, Buell hopes her business will gain about 10 percent revenue this year. In 2010, she was a vendor at Celebration Village, an annual trade show in Tupelo, and also traveled to shows in homes of friends.
For Ghana Goods, Buell hopes it will continue to grow and build a solid foundation at a healthy rate. For herself, Buell strives to never stop learning about the world. To her, life is about maintaining a healthy balance — emotionally, mentally and physically.  
This year, not only will Buell be a regular at 212 Local Market,  but will be featured at trade shows in Starkville and Oxford.
Ghana Goods has handcrafted items including, small items such as coin purses to larger items such as laptop bags and dresses. Ghana Goods also features paintings from Ghanaian artist Yaw Kutin.
To Buell, the greatest accomplishment in her life is that of fulfillment and where she is today.
“It is learning how to be content and happy in whatever it is you’re doing,” said Buell. “The grass is always greener on the other side unless you look down to see where you’re standing”
For more information, visit Ghana Goods on Facebook or e-mail at [email protected].