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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$9.50
Ajiri tea is produced at the Nyansiongo Tea Factory, a Rain Forest Alliance Certified cooperative owned by local small-scale farmers in Kenya. Sold in 20-bag packages, these fair trade teas are high in antioxidants and remarkably fresh, bold, and flavorful.
Each box of tea features unique artwork that is handmade using dried banana leaves and natural paper. The bag is tied with twine made of dried banana leaves and decorated with recycled magazine beads.
All profits from sales of Ajiri Tea are donated to the Ajiri Foundation, which pays school fees for orphans in western Kenya. Net weight is 1 oz. Artwork is one-of-a-kind and will vary.
"Ajiri" means to employ in Swahili, the national language of Kenya. Through the sale of Ajiri tea, the Ajiri Foundation creates employment for women and to educate orphans in western Kenya. The aim is to form a sustainable cycle of community employment and education while also supporting local farmers and practicing sustainable farming techniques.
$58.00
Designed to showcase small plants and succulents, these handmade African sculptures are welded outside of Nairobi using washers, nuts, and other salvaged metal pieces.
The sculptures can be displayed inside or outside of the home, and because they are created from salvaged materials, each planter is one-of-a-kind. Due to the nature of the metal, the sculptures will develop a patina when exposed to the elements.
Sold singly. Two sizes available. Because this is a handcrafted item, each may vary slightly.
Dimensions:
Small: 8"L x 6"W x 20"H
Large: 8"L x 7"W x 24"H
Crafted from: Metal
Made in: Kenya
The bottom of each sculpture is porous so consideration should be given during planting, such as lining the planter with moss.
About the Artisans:
Moses and his small workshop of craftsmen build their own welding machines out of copper coil, tape, steel rod, and a sheet metal housing in order to create these spectacular metal works of art. Moses began his artistic career making furniture, but quickly switched to sculpture after an interested European buyer created a demand for his works abroad.
$42.00
This fun elephant sculpture is made from hundreds of flip flops that have been hand-formed, carved, and cemented together by artisans in a Nairobi workshop.
These elephant sculptures are a colorful, eco-friendly way to recycle flip flops that would otherwise litter urban areas or sit in landfills. We work directly with a small co-op of Kenyan artisans who collect, clean and transform foam footwear into bold modern safari art sculptures.
Each sculpture is one-of-a-kind and designs will vary.
Dimensions: 10"L x 5"W x 6"H
Crafted from: Recycled flip flop foam, glue
Made in: Kenya
About the Artisans:
In Kenya, artisans convert discarded flip flops into one-of-a-kind art. Operating from a small Nairobi workshop, the dedicated group offers employment and creative opportunities while also keeping flip flop foam out of the landfills.
$78.00
These simple yet durable baskets are hand woven by women in rural Tanzania. Available in three sizes, they are useful in every room of the home. Accents of dyed black milulu grass elevate these traditional baskets as modern decor.
Sold singly, three sizes available. Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary.
Dimensions:
Small: 10"D x 11"H
Medium: 12-13"D x 12"H
Large: 14-15"D x 13"H
Crafted from: Milulu grass, natural dye
Made in: Tanzania
About the Artisans:
Home of the Hehe people, the city of Iringa is situated 300 miles from Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and stretches along a hilltop overlooking the Ruaha River to the south. Iringa is famous for its woven baskets made from local reeds. The baskets are an important source of income for the 100,000 population town and are used across Tanzania and exported worldwide.
$18.50
Lulu Life is an organic, Grade A virgin shea butter that 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
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.
This shea butter is pure and unscented. See all of the scents available in our Skin Care Collection.
$68.00
Measuring 70" long, these handmade table runners are created by weaving dried twigs through through hand-dyed mudcloth fabric.
Two lengths of twigs are used to create visual contrast. The fabric is a thick canvas that has been dyed using a mudcloth technique in Mali.
Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary slightly.
Dimensions: 16"W x 70"L
Crafted from: Dried twigs, cotton, dye
Made in: Mali
About the Artisans:
Mali Chic is a collaboration of 195 artisans that sells its products through a boutique in Bamako and through international exports. Artisans work from home, in their own workshops or on-site at Mali Chic.
$88.00
These authentic African mud cloths are handmade by artisans in Mali who grow and weave their own cotton. Each cloth is hand-dyed with fermented mud that has been stained with plant leaves.
The fabric features hemmed edges on two sides and can be used as a table cloth, wall hanging, or throw blanket.
Measures 44"W x 70"L. Due to the handcrafted nature of this item, design will vary. For best care, hand wash in cool water and air dry.
About the Artisans:
Mali Chic is a collaboration of 195 artisans that sells its products through a boutique in Bamako and through international exports. Artisans work from home, in their own workshops or on-site at Mali Chic, and child labor is never used. Mali Chic provides artisans with 50% advances on all orders and pay a fair price for their products.
$15.00
The Leakey Collection dedicates proceeds from these specially designed 26" Zulugrass strands to their Girls Graduation program to counsel young rural girls and their families on the importance of staying in school. Each strand is packaged on a special tag, explaining how the proceeds will be allocated, and can be worn wrapped 3-4 times around your wrist or ankle or even 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. Due to the handmade nature of this item, slight variation is expected. Zulugrass is as creative as the individual who wears it!
$42.00
African artisans hand-carve these servers from a single piece of olive wood, and add "twist" to each server. The servers are sanded to a smooth finish, displaying the grain patterns of the olive wood tree.
Sold singly. Handle designs will vary. Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary slightly.
Approximate Dimensions: 11.5"L x 3.5"W
Crafted from: olive wood, sanitized salvaged cow bone, and dye
Care: Hand wash in warm water and occasionally treat with olive oil.
Made in: Kenya
About the Artisans:
We work with representatives of Kamba artists in Kenya to obtain these hand-carved works of beauty derived from the olive wood tree. The artisans benefit greatly from the sale of their works, with marked improvements being seen for the individual, their families, the community.
$68.00
Measuring 70" long, this handmade table runner with its modern graphics is created by weaving dried twigs through through hand-dyed mudcloth fabric.
Two lengths of twigs are used to create visual contrast. The fabric is a thick canvas that has been dyed using a mudcloth technique in Mali.
Because this is a handcrafted item, each will vary slightly.
Dimensions: 16"W x 70"L
Crafted from: Dried twigs, cotton, dye
Made in: Mali
About the Artisans:
Mali Chic is a collaboration of 195 artisans that sells its products through a boutique in Bamako and through international exports. Artisans work from home, in their own workshops or on-site at Mali Chic.
$42.00
This fun and colorful sculpture, made from discarded flip flops that have been handcrafted by artisans in Nairobi, exhibits the graceful lines of African giraffes.
These statement sculptures are a colorful and eco-friendly way to recycle flip flops that would otherwise litter urban Nairobi or sit in landfills. We work directly with a small co-op of Kenyan artisans who collect, clean and transform foam footwear into bold modern safari art sculptures.
Each sculpture is one-of-a-kind; designs, colors, and head direction will vary.
Dimensions: 7"L x 3"W x 14"H
Crafted from: Recycled flip flop foam, glue
Made in: Kenya
About the Artisans:
In Kenya, artisans convert discarded flip flops into one-of-a-kind art. Operating from a small Nairobi workshop, the dedicated group offers employment and creative opportunities while also keeping flip flop foam out of the landfills.