Hadithi Artisans, Kenya
Kenya: Hadithi Crafts
Hadithi Crafts supports over 1900 women from artisan groups in the Kasigau region of south-eastern Kenya. They provide a market for their handmade crafts as well as a holistic approach to supporting the artisans by providing training in craft skills, and other empowering workshops regarding women’s health, education and financial wellbeing. Their mission is to lift people out of poverty and take pressure off the land and wildlife which people in Tsavo share their homes with. Hadithi means ‘a story’ in Swahili. There are many different tribes in Kenya, all specializing in their specific handicraft which is an important part of their culture which has passed down many generations. Hadithi specializes in connecting the unique story behind the people who made the product, reflecting the beauty of their culture, and informing the customer of how their purchase impacts a real person who made it.
What’s it like for the artisans living in this area?
The Kasigau Region is situated in a semi-arid area where harvests often fail due to a lack of rain, limited access to clean water and consequently poverty is rife – enforcing the need for an alternative income.
In Kenyan culture, women generally come together in groups to carry on their cultural traditions of weaving baskets, beading, etc. These groups act as a support network for the women who often pull their money together to invest together to create a micro-enterprise business as a collective. They work together as a community to generate income to improve their lives and to earn money to send their children and/or grandchildren to school. Primary education is not free in Kenya. It is also traditionally prioritized for boys. Research has shown that when women are educated, their education ends up impacting the lives of entire villages. The empowerment of women to earn income is a priority to Hadithi as they see it impacts the fight against poverty for generations to come.
How is environmental sustainability considered in these artisan’s work?
One of Hadithi’s core values is to protect the environment. This area is a stunning and yet vulnerable ecosystem home to varied and abundant wildlife. Hadithi sales assist in providing a sustainable alternative to environmentally harmful practices like the poaching of wildlife and destruction of forests for charcoal, timber and farmland.
Ways sustainability is being implemented into the products:
Baskets with Recycled Plastic: the artisans collect their plastic string waste from a gemstone mine and they give the plastic twine a second life by weaving it into the basket intertwined with sisal.
Zero Waste initiative by using leather from the local meat industry for basket handles. These leather handles are made by the Buguta Disabled group which provides livelihood for disabled youth in Buguta.
Since January, 2024 Hadithi received a grant to ensure all dyeing practices are compliant with the hughes social and environmental standards. They are working to implement natural dye techniques into the basket production.