IT’S THE SMALL THINGS
By ALEX M. EDUQUE
Just like I did in the last two years, I have collaborated once again with entrepreneur (or as I like to call her, the candle crafter extraordinaire) Macky Fäh to create a limited-edition candle vessel for the holidays. As we have done annually, Macky concocts a new scent, while I take elements that have inspired me in the past year, sketch some doodles, and then translate these into ceramic to create a one-of-a-kind re-usable container. This is a partnership I cherish not only because of the beautiful product it yields, but because of the friendship that has been born, and that continues to blossom year after year. As organic as all the ingredients that go into the candle is the creative process that unfolds each time Macky and I conceptualize individually, and then meet to merge our ideas. She gives me the freedom to create, and I will forever be grateful for that trust. But what I (and the 14 MovEd students this partnership has sent to school) will always be thankful for is the light of hope these Fäe candles continue to ignite.
Macky’s brand Fäe was born because of her two daughters. She wanted to make a change and a difference in the world she is raising them in. While her line of soaps is a self-made remedy to her eldest daughter’s bad case of skin allergies, she believes that her candle line was a gift from her youngest daughter because it was when she was pregnant with her that the idea took shape. She recalls being extremely sensitive to smell at the time, and was drawn to high-end luxury candles, making her quickly realize that there were no such candles with that same quality available locally. Not being one to settle with the norm, she decided to take the next step, and make her own. The rest is history.
Macky believes in education, and its extreme importance in developing countries like the Philippines. She sees education to be the compass that guides us to make decisions in life, and believes that with better education, we, as a country, and as a nation can make wiser decisions and progress as a whole. This is why she chose MovEd to be the beneficiary of her efforts – she believes in the organizations thrust of providing holistic early childhood care, education and development programs to underserved communities around the Philippines, to children ages 3 to 5 years. After all, those are some of a child’s most formative developmental years.
This year’s Candle for A Cause, Beneficence, has notes of pine, amber, almond, vanilla, and eucalyptus in its mix. With hints of gold, its vessel is heavily inspired by our Filipino heritage, and showcases national symbols like the anahaw leaf and sampaguita, as well as the pipit, a Filipino bird further popularized by a tune that goes with it. It is our hope that beyond the children that the profits from this candle will be able to send to school, that its design and world-class scent will find its way to yours, and your loved-ones homes. It is a one hundred percent Filipino made product, that is for the benefit of the next generation of Filipino movers, shakers, thinkers, doers, and leaders.
This collaboration was a product of a meeting of sorts. A passion project, as a means of working towards a common goal – of taking small steps and continuous strides together, to work towards a better Philippines. Not only do the positive ions released by these beeswax candles aid with allergies; they help even more in restoring that much needed hope for our country’s future, and for our world. It may be serendipity, but frankly, it seems more like a most meaningful coincidence that is manifested through the power of names and great visions. Fäe after all means fairy – and in the past two years, it has become the fairy godmother of sorts to the lives of a couple MovEd students.