JOINING FORCES WITH THE LEAKEY COLLECTION
The Leakey Collection has focused on zulugrass bracelets and jewelry in Kenya since 2002. Their iconic grass beads are dyed with low-impact dyes and strung on durable elastic. The sale of their products contributes to wonderful work in East Africa, including creating employment for thousands of women, promoting health and hygiene, bringing clean water into homes, and mentoring young girls through school.
Philip and Katy Leakey, founders of The Leakey Collection who live among the Maasai in East Africa, wanted to provide their neighbors with work opportunities. They came up with an imaginative idea to utilize the excellent beading abilities of the Maasai women by using a readily available, sustainable resource- GRASS- as the primary element.
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$36.00
Perched on the edge of a shelf, this sculpture of a casually seated woman will bring a dash of color and shine to your home decor. Artisans in Burkina Faso cast the woman's form using the lost wax method and poured bronze, then hand-paint the details of the dress and headpiece.
Designed to sit on the edge of a ledge, shelf or table. Sold singly. Colors and leg positions may vary.
Dimensions: 3.5"L x 3.5"W x 5"H
Crafted from: Bronze
Made in: Burkina Faso
$20.00
This reusable shopper is made in Ghana from discarded water sachets. Designed to zip neatly into its base when not in use, these totes are both practical and eco-friendly. This style features a colorful patchwork of fabric forming the base, on display when the bag is folded & zipped.
Due to the handmade nature of these totes and the use of recycled materials, slight variation is expected. Fabric selection varies.
Dimensions:
Unfolded- 16.5" x 12.5" x 6"
Folded- 8.5" x 6" x 1.5"
About the Artisans:
Trashy Bags Africa is a social enterprise making up-cycled eco-friendly products from discarded drinking water sachets that litter the streets of Accra, Ghana. Started in 2007, the organization has collected and recycled over 30 million plastic sachets since then. Each month nearly 200,000 sachets are collected and brought to Trashy Bags Africa, over forty local people are employed to collect, clean and stitch the sachets into durable, eco-friendly accessories.
$10.00
Through the sale of Leave a Legacy in Africa bracelets, Relate has raised more than $109,000USD to support Ikamva Labantu. Each bracelet is handcrafted in South Africa, and includes an informative display card to promote awareness for this vital South African NGO.
Ikamva Labantu aims to empower low income communities to become self-sustainable. Their programs range from supporting orphaned and vulnerable children, to HIV education, testing and support programs, as well as supporting the empowerment of women through education and communication projects. Relate's relationship with Ikamva Labantu goes far beyond donating funds to its highly deserving and effective causes. Elderly men and women in Ikamva Labantu’s local township senior clubs thread the beads for Relate bracelets. Visit the site ikamva.org.za.
Materials: Plastic beads, pewter, elastic
Available in three sizes. S/Child = 7.5", M/Adult= 8", L/Adult= 8.5".
About the Artisans:
Relate bracelets are handmade and sold to make a difference and change lives. As a 100% not-for-profit social enterprise, the majority of Relate's revenue is donated to credible causes and invested in social initiatives, with a focus on creating opportunities for all involved, at every stage of a project.
$9.00
These African wine stoppers are cast from zinc and electroplated with an antique brass finish. Each sits atop a standard sized cork and measures 1.75"T x 1.25"L.
Sold individually. Choose from Lion, Elephant, Rhino, Cheetah, Giraffe, or Hippo.
The stoppers come to us from an eco-friendly, brass casting company in Cape Town known its community outreach and original products.
About the Artisans:
Roots of Creation is a South African company known for their innovate brass and metal products. They have been in the casting business for over 20 years, during which time they have built a reputation for high-quality and original product design.
$24.00
Showcasing soapstone in this sweet set of hippos, 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.
Sold as a set of two. Each measures 4"L x 2"W x 2.5"H. Due to the handcrafted nature of these items, size may vary slightly.
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.
$12.00
Hand carved and polished to a smooth finish, these beautiful rhino sculptures showcase the beautiful grain and varied coloration of natural gray soapstone.
Although colors are predominantly gray, this is completely natural soapstone with NO dyeing so each piece could display a wide variation in color and grain than photos - with veining, lighter or darker gray, and even some brown and pink tones but each will be lovely. Additional color swatches are shown as examples.
Sold individually. Each measures 4"L x 1.5"W x 2"H.
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.
$18.50
Lulu Delight is a combination of essential oils of myrrh and wild basil and fragrance oils of plumeria, honey suckle, and lilac, combined with Lulu Life virgin shea butter. This organic, Grade A shea butter is produced using nuts from the vitellaria nilotica tree, which grows only in remote East Africa.
Most shea butter comes from West African shea trees and is sold as a hard solid. East African shea butter is silky and harder to procure, and considered a precious luxury good. Lulu Shea Butter is made from nuts that are collected, cracked, sorted, dried, ground by hand and cold-pressed (avoiding even the slightest trace of chemical contamination).
Intensely moisturizing, this shea butter is easily absorbed and is known to transform your skin over time. The butter is rich in vitamins and anti-oxidants, and can be used on the face or as an all-over body butter.
Dimensions: 100ml (3.4oz) watertight plastic container.
2.25"L x 2.25"W x 2"H
Crafted from: Nilotica shea nut oil, plant essence or fragrance
Made in: South Sudan
About the Artisans:
Founded in 2000, Lulu Works is a non-profit trust established to provide a source of sustainable income for the women of South Sudan. Comprised of women-owned processing centers, Lulu Works ensures that the profit from the production and sale of Lulu Life products returns to these women. It also provides an incentive to protect the natural shea butter resource.
Vitellaria nilotica tree grows across South Sudan in thick forests and takes 20 years to bear its first fruit. These forests are untouched by chemicals or fertilizers.
Fragrance is provided by natural, essential oils. Lulu Love is a combination of essential oils of myrrh and wild basil and fragrance oils of plumeria, honey suckle, and lilac. See all of the scents available in our Skin Care Collection.
$10.00
These beautiful heart keepsakes are hand carved from soft Kisii soapstone by artisans in Western Kenya, then hand painted with a colorful rainbow design at a Nairobi workshop.
Measures 2.75"L x 2.75"W x 2.25"H. Due to the handmade nature of this item, slight variation may occur.
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.
$24.00
Hand-knit from 100% GOTS certified organic cotton
These soft stuffed reindeer, handmade from natural, organic cotton, are safe for children of any age. Featuring a cozy scarf and sewn facial features, these stuffed animals are a favorite for children of all ages.
Each reindeer is hand-knit by a Kenyan women's cooperative called Kenana Knitters. Due to the hand-crafted nature of this item, some variation is expected. Fair trade.
Size: Approximately 12"T
About the Artisans:
"Changing Lives Stitch by Stitch"
Kenana Knitters is a knitting cooperative in Njoro, Kenya that employs a community of more than 300 women in a rural farming area. In addition to supplementing the women's income, sales also fund community action for education and health services. All products are local and crafted from natural, organic materials.
$10.00
From her home in Kampala, Uganda, mother-of-three Betty and four other local women craft these sweet zebra ornaments from scraps of striped cotton cloth. Each ornament is stuffed with poly fiber, and has an all-natural hanging loop.
Sold singly. Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary.
Dimensions: 4"L x 2"W x 5.5"H (top of zebra), 8"H (top of loop)
Materials: cotton cloth, fiber fill
Crafted in: Uganda
About the Artisan:
Betty has been producing hand-stitched dolls for 10 years now. Based in Uganda, she was inspired by a friend and set off to start her own production line. Betty now works with four other women in her home in Kampala to create beautiful decor items using kitenge cloth.
