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

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Marula Oil is a fast-absorbing facial oil that has been treasured for centuries by African women for its restorative benefits. It provides long-lasting hydration and soothes redness and irritation, leaving skin glowing with a matte finish.

With its extremely high concentration of Omega 6, 9 and other antioxidants, it fights free-radicals that cause premature skin aging. The oil-rich kernels from East African are wild-harvested, hand-selected, manually cold pressed, then combined with a 1% essential oil fragrance blend, to ensure the highest quality product.

The 30 ml bottle size, with a special oil dispenser, also meets travel requirements. Included in the box is an insert outlining uses and benefits.

About the Artisans:

In 2001, a terrible drought persisted for several years and brought devastation to the pasture lands. The livelihood of the Maasai disappeared as their cattle died. The men had to drive the few remaining cattle hundreds of miles away in search for better grazing while the women looked desperately for ways to feed, clothe, and educate their children and obtain medical supplies. 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.

Soon the Leakeys discovered that for centuries, African women had revered the restorative benefits of Marula oil and decided to offer it to the world also. After the Marula fruit is collected under the wild stands of trees, the nuts are removed from the fruit by hand. The nuts are slowly sun-dried, naturally concentrating the oil prior to extraction. The hard outer shells are individually split by hand; each kernel is removed and inspected for freshness, discarding any of poor quality. The oil-rich ivory colored kernels are pressed through The Leakey Collection's unique, proprietary cold-pressing system, ensuring the highest quality product. Now, even the men have joined in the entrepreneurial opportunities.

Utilizing remnants of colorful Zulugrass, Maasai artisans are designing one-of-a-kind strands to symbolize the bright futures of educated children. Buy Zulugrass=Educate Kids. The Leakey Collection will donate 100% of their profits from the sales of these bracelets to pay for teachers' salaries in rural Kenya. Each 26" strand is packaged on a special tag explaining how the proceeds will be allocated. Wear it wrapped 3-4 times around your wrist or ankle, or long as a necklace. 

Zulugrass 26" single strands are made from sustainable, natural grass beads. The richly hued grass is dyed with colorfast, low-impact dyes and interspersed with hand-blown Czech glass. Zulugrass is as creative as the individual who wears it!

This bracelet will feature a variety of colors; each one is unique.

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.

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.