03/29/2021
Hi guys!! I I wanted to share with you something that happened to our Kenyan Artisan group, Bawa Hope... unfortunately several of their shops burned to the ground and they are now in the process of trying to figure out what to do next. I wanted to give you a little bit of information about Bawa below and encourage you to shop our Kenyan pieces this month. It's a huge support for them but it also supports my Gather for Good for the disaster relief in the US. I am offering FREE shipping to any purchases of our Keyan pieces to Mar 31. I can direct message you a code or reimburse you after.
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Bawa Hope is a Fair-Trade company which works with marginalized handicraft artisans in Kenya. We connect creative women and men who produce high quality products with access to global markets.
OUR MISSION
To create and develop contemporary ethnic jewelry which satisfies the consumerās desire for value, quality, and fashion, whilst taking care of our environment and creating opportunities for marginalized communities.
ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION
Environmental conservation is a key pillar of Bawa Hopeās core values. Bawa Hope seeks to use enterprise as a tool to not only empower marginalized artisans but also to safeguard the environment.
Women and men living in informal settlements see value in many of the things we throw away. Brass metal, cow horns and bones, and other waste materials are turned into attractive, functional fashion accessories. When you buy these products, you help create demand which fuels further collection, processing, and utilization of waste material, thus safeguarding the environment.
ANNE NZILANI (Founder)
Anne Nzilani (pronounced as nzee-lan-ee) grew up in a world of crafts ā coming from the Kenyan community which gave the world the world famous kiondo basket. She has a big heart for social justice and believes in making a difference in the lives of marginalized but talented people. She has an innate ability to spot winning products with great market potential. She also has the knack to energize producers and get the best out of them
Anneās expertise is in product development, production, and marketing. She interprets new designs in jewelry and fashion, working with artisans to develop new products. She identifies products with market potential and promotes them to customers
Anne has great networks and working relationships with producers from Kenyaās dominant craft clusters of Eastern Province (famous for kiondos and wood carvings), Nairobi (a key source of great natural jewelry) and Tabaka (home to the worldās most famous soapstone).
Her experience in the export process comes from marketing visits to countries all over Europe and working with buyers there. Anne has worked on design projects with key international designers and design universities, including Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands and Cardenal Herrera CEU in Spain.
Anne founded Bawa Hope to link talented women and men in the low-income areas of Nairobi and rural Kenya to marketing opportunities in Europe and the USA. She believes it is possible to transform the lives of marginalized producers from abject poverty to lifestyles of social fulfilment and economic empowerment through trade.
