Using strands of natural sisal, women living in remote areas of rural Kenya earn income by crafting beautifully simple baskets that can be used for chic storage in any room of the home. Sisal is a natural fiber extracted from an agave plant, so the baskets are coveted for their durability and ability to be re-shaped.

Sold individually. Choose from Medium or Large.

Approximate measurements: Medium 14" wide x 10" tall (to top of basket), 14" tall including handles. Large 16" wide x 10" tall (to top of basket), 14" tall including handles. Due to the handcrafted nature of this item, some variation may occur.

About the Artisans:

In the rural Kenyan countryside around the city of Kitui, women specialize in weaving the tough fibers of the agave sisalana plant. Sisal's spiky leaf clusters erupt from a dry landscape and often requires long journeys to gather. Once woven, these baskets are sold to local and international markets. Singing, dancing, and chatting make weaving for export an enjoyable social event!

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Showcasing un-dyed soapstone in this beautiful lidded box, Kenyan artisans hand carve and polish to a smooth finish. Although colors are primarily cream, this is completely natural soapstone with NO dyeing so each piece could display a wide variation in color and grain than photos - with veining, and even some brown and pink tones but each will be lovely.

Dimensions: 4"L x 4.25"W x 1.5"H

Crafted from: Soapstone

Made in: Kenya

About the Artisans:

Soapstone is mined in Kisii county in southwestern Kenya. We work with three different artisan groups in and around Nairobi who carve, polish and paint the stone to create beautiful pieces.

Wolof women in the West African nation of Senegal hand-weave baskets in the traditional coil weaving method, using natural grass. Interweaving strips of plastic, salvaged from a mat factory in Dakar, the weavers create beautiful designs.

Cattails grow abundantly in rural Senegal, making this natural grass a sustainable choice. The Wolof women earn a sustainable income from basket weaving, while enriching homes around the world with modern African craftsmanship.

This hamper basket features inset handles and a flat lid.

Sold singly. Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary slightly.

Dimensions: 14"L x 14"W x 19"H

Crafted from: Typha (cattail) stalks, plastic

Made in: Senegal

Due to the handmade nature of this item, some variation is expected. Read our Statement on Handmade Variation to learn more. Fair trade.

This versatile set of nesting baskets is handwoven using strands of hand-dyed sisal. Versatile and stylish, these baskets are perfect for mixing up storage in any space.

Sold as a set of three nesting baskets.

Dimensions:
Small: 6"L x 6"W x 6"H
Med: 8"L x 8"W x 8"H
Large: 10"L x 10"W x 10"H

Crafted from: Sisal fiber, dye

Made in: Kenya

About the Artisans:

In the rural Kenyan countryside around the city of Kitui, women specialize in weaving the tough fibers of the agave sisalana plant. Sisal's spiky leaf clusters erupt from a dry landscape and often requires long journeys to gather. Once woven, these baskets are sold to local and international markets. Singing, dancing, and chatting make weaving for export an enjoyable social event!

In rural Kenya, skilled women weavers create baskets from durable, sustainable sisal fibers, harvested from the Agave Sisalana plant. This small storage basket is woven with a matching lid, making it perfect for packaging a little gift or using on the countertop to corral small items.

Sold singly. Because this is a handcrafted item, each may vary slightly. We recommend spraying the sisal lightly with cold water to reshape your baskets.

Dimensions: 4.5"L x 4.5"W x 5"H

Crafted from: Sisal

Made in: Kenya

About the Artisans:

In the rural Kenyan countryside around the city of Kitui, women specialize in weaving the tough fibers of the agave sisalana plant. Sisal's spiky leaf clusters erupt from a dry landscape and often requires long journeys to gather. Once woven, these baskets are sold to local and international markets. Singing, dancing, and chatting make weaving for export an enjoyable social event!

This luxurious gabi in gray and light blue hues is woven from fine organic cotton into two wide panels, then hand-stitched together by artisans of Sammy Ethiopia. Worn traditionally in pure white for religious services, a gabi is an expansive textile that can serve in many ways - as a wrap or shawl, a throw blanket, a tablecloth, or even tied as a baby carrier.

You'll find many reasons to love this heirloom-quality handwoven textile!

Measures 59"W x 87"L. Due to the handmade nature of this item, size may vary slightly. Color variation is an expected feature, due to the handmade nature of this item.

Care instructions: Hand wash with mild detergent. Hang dry.

About the Artisans:

The Sammy Ethiopia brand links the artisan skills of one of Africa's most ancient civilizations with American and European fashion know-how. The result is unique contemporary style that has already gathered fans from New York to Tokyo. A wealth of craft skills known in Ethiopia for thousands of years are applied to a style-forward range of fashion and home accessories to suit current global tastes. Collaborating with community organizations and cooperatives, Sammy Ethiopia creates employment to some of the world's most marginalized people in and around Addis Ababa.

Using copper recycled from used water heaters or wire, along with silver mined by small scale miners from an old silver mine in Kabwe, young self-taught Zambian women of F.R.E.E (Foundation for the Realization of Economic Empowerment) are defying gender norms becoming metalsmiths for jewelry-making. F.R.E.E. Woman jewelry showcases modern Zambian skill in eye-catching wearable art such as this copper and silver disc necklace, hung from a leather cord with a hook clasp.

Measures 2.5"W x 15"L (total length), 10" drop. Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary slightly. Matching earrings are available.

About the Artisans:

F.R.E.E (Foundation for the Realization of Economic Empowerment) started as a group of young, inexperienced women, with no previous jewelry making experience and defying gender norms, who taught themselves metalsmithing using copper. Using copper recycled from used water heaters and wire, they transform it into beautiful pieces of jewelry. Their skills have continually expanded, and some women have trained in silversmithing.

A sip of this rich, fresh, and smooth whole leaf black tea transports you to the lush, jade tea gardens at the foot of Mt Kenya. Grown on small Kenyan farms where no pesticides are ever sprayed on the tea leaves, Mt. Kenya Black Tea carries strong and malty tasting notes hinting of cocoa beans and dried fruit and is highly caffeinated. Sweet and complex on its own but equally superb with a splash of milk and sugar, Mt. Kenya Black is also delicious as an iced tea!

JusTea is dedicated to maintaining the whole tea leaf rather than the normal maceration which destroys much of the leaf’s natural complexities and depth. This allows the tea to be steeped multiple times, retaining the full flavor profile that whole leaf tea offers.

Each 90g tin includes a hand-carved wooden spoon and makes about 40 cups or when re-steeping, 80 cups. A recyclable refill pouch is now also available. Steeping Instructions: 1 teaspoon of tea per cup of 205°F water for 3 mins.    

See all teas in our African Coffee & Tea Collection.

The Bain family from Canada partnered with the Katah family and the Nandi Hills community in Kenya to establish JusTea®, Kenya’s first-ever, small-scale farmer-owned Artisanal Tea Factory. Fully staffed, managed, and owned by small-scale Kenyan tea farmers, JustTea was granted one of the first tea processing licenses to produce these artisanal, direct-from-farm teas by The Tea Board of Kenya. The tea farm is nestled in the rolling green Nandi Hills where its volcanic soil naturally produces some of the world’s most flavourful tea. This small specialty factory processes a rainbow of teas: Purple, Green, Oolong and Black artisanal teas.

"If people can learn to hate, they can be taught to love–for love comes more naturally to the human heart than its opposite." Beautifully screen printed, this statement tote bag showcases Nelson Mandela's quotation in white text on black.

Size: 13.5"L x 4"W x 15"T (to top of bag), 24"T (to top of handles). Sold singly. Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary slightly.

At Yda Walt Studios in Johannesburg, South Africa, talented owner/designer Yda Walt and a small team of artisans dream up inspirational products centered on South African life and ethos.

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These striking baskets feature a natural cream swirl design set against black raffia and are handcrafted by coiling raffia over banana stalks by Ugandan artisans. This functional art can be displayed on the wall with its raffia loop or put to use on the tabletop.

Sold singly, available in two sizes. Because these are handcrafted items, colors and patterns may vary slightly.

Dimensions:
Small: 10"D x 2.5"H
Medium: 12"D x 3"H

Crafted from: Raffia palm, banana stalks, natural dyes

Made in: Kenya, Uganda

About the Artisans:

Uganda Crafts 2000 Limited, a member of the International Fair Trade Association teaches basic handcrafting skills to rural & urban women and provides income opportunities for the marginalised and disadvantaged: people with disabilities, widows, orphans, single mothers, women with minimal education, and people living with HIV. They handcraft baskets using natural raffia wrapped over coils of banana leaf stems.

Rustic meets modern: this striking black-and-white mudcloth throw is crafted in Mali from handmade cotton.

Measures approximately 46"W x 72"L. Natural cotton that is carded, spun, woven and dyed by hand will include variations in color and texture. This is an expected feature of handmade cloth. Authentic mudcloth is a rustic textile with charming imperfections and an unfinished reverse side (see photos). Hemmed at top and bottom, with raw selvedge on the sides. For best care, hand wash in cool water and air dry.

About the Artisans:

Le Ndomo is a social enterprise created to address the unemployment problem of young people who have not had the chance to study or to attend school. Ndomo aims to give these young people training with local knowledge: In addition to technical training, it also aims to assist young people in life by facilitating their socialization and by giving them values that will increase the quality of their lives; responsibility, personal commitment, work and solidarity, in strict compliance with the values of traditional African society.

Carvers in Kenya's western highlands craft the basic form for a sphere tea light candle holder from soft soapstone. Artisans in a Nairobi workshop then add a rich black dyed finish and art deco inspired etched details.

Sold singly. Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary slightly. Candle not included.

Dimensions: 2"L x 2"W x 2"H

Crafted from: Soapstone, dye

Made in: Kenya

About the Artisans:

Soapstone is mined in Kisii county in southwestern Kenya. We work with three different artisan groups in and around Nairobi who carve, polish and paint the stone to create beautiful pieces.