Sasa Designs by the Deaf is a jewelry design company, started in 2011 to provide employment and fair wages to deaf women in Kenya. With an estimated unemployment rate of 85% nationwide, few deaf have ever had the opportunity to support themselves or explore their potential. Deafness in Kenya carries grave stigma that leads to deaf individuals being ostracized and in the worst of cases, abused. Upon joining Sasa Designs, a deaf woman becomes an artisan – carefully cultivating a skill set that grows along with her confidence. A woman who has spent a lifetime feeling like a burden, can now take care of herself and her children.

Sasa Designs is a catalyst for transformation. Sasa’s workshop in Kenya employs 13 deaf women full time, with plans to expand. Sasa Designs by the Deaf is proving that physically and geographically isolated artisans have the capacity, skill and vision to compete in the global accessories market. The artisans of Sasa Designs by the Deaf have started a new chapter in their lives, working each day to build a better life: for themselves, for their children, and for our global community as a whole. Sasa Designs envisions a world in which individuals can benefit from participation in the global market regardless of their gender, geographic location or physical characteristics.