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Esther - Arusha, Tanzania

Esther is one of 8 talented full-time beaders working for Sidai designs, our artisan partners in Tanzania. An additional 100+ semi-nomadic Maasai women are paid by the piece. Maasai women typically have little control over areas that affect them such as resources, their education and their livelihoods due to an embedded patriarchal system that does not value them as able decision makers. Because of this gender inequality, Maasai women are often married young, prevented from going to school, and face poverty and heavy work loads as a daily reality. 

The option to create jewelry as a source of reliable income has empowered Maasai women to earn steady incomes, lift themselves out of poverty, and become leaders in their community. Designs honor Maasai culture, and women have the choice to bead from home or at Sidai's workshop in Tanzania, which suits their lifestyle. 

THROUGH OUR ARTISAN PARTNERSHIP IN TANZANIA:

-108 artisans employed; 800+ lives positively impacted by employment

-Biweekly free workshops and training are offered in topics of community interest

-5 traditional beading techniques are preserved and honored 

-70% of artisans have used their income to buy livestock - a traditional form of investment

Eularie - kigali, Rwanda

"My name is Eulerie, and I weave to create a stable life for my children and a secure future for myself. My family could not afford to continue paying school fees when I was young, so I became shepherd, which was seen as a privilege in my home and community.

Life became difficult when I had my first child at nineteen. I was unmarried at the time, and, shortly after, both my parents fell very ill. My parents passed away within a few months of each other. After losing them, my brother told me I needed to make a better life for myself. I took his advice and joined a cooperative so that I could weave for a living.

Despite having to stop my education after grade four, weaving has given me opportunities for leadership and personal growth."

THROUGH OUR ARTISAN PARTNERSHIP IN RWANDA:

-3,200 artisans employed; 21,000+ lives positively affected by employment

-Artisans are paid 4-5 times more than the price they earn at local markets

-96% of artisan's children are enrolled in or have completed primary school

-94% of artisans have purchased a health insurance plan

JOYLINE - MUTARE, ZIMBABWE

Joyline knits heirloom toys full time for Gogo Olive, our artisan partners in Zimbabwe - a country with a 95% unemployment rate. She is a widow and the mother of three sons. Joyline suffered for 27 years from an enlarged thyroid gland condition, known as a goiter, on her neck which had grown to the size of a cantaloupe. Through the free medical care Gogo Olive provides, Joyline was able to have surgery to have the goiter removed and is now healthy and back to work.

THROUGH OUR ARTISAN PARTNERSHIP IN ZIMBABWE:

-60 artisans employed; 300+ lives positively impacted by employment

-Regular free workshops and training offered in topics of community interest

-Emergency funding available for those seeking medical treatment 

-Interest-free loans offered regardless of the artisans' ability to pay back 

-Prison rehabilitation center and children's home funded with proceeds from sales

Where we work

BOTSWANA / BURUNDI / CAMEROON / EGYPT / ETHIOPIA / ESWATINI / KENYA / MALAWI / MOROCCO / NIGER / RWANDA / SENEGAL / SOUTH AFRICA / TANZANIA / UGANDA / ZAMBIA / ZIMBABWE

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