WELCOME TO ZAWADISHA

We're your social good marketplace that uplifts women. Our name is Swahili and means to give a gift, which is quite fitting for our little shop.

We scour the continent of Africa for the most beautiful, exceptionally crafted and ethically sourced handmade goods, supporting in local artisans and communities.

Then we invest 100% of sales into our microlending program that has served thousands of women in Kenya. Pretty cool, right?

GET TO KNOW US

BOLD. BEAUTIFUL. YOU.

Handmade jewelry from Cape Town, South Africa

Zawadisha provides small loans to rural Kenyan women to help finance their livelihoods

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    We remove the barriers for rural women to access essential household items like solar lamps, rain water tanks, and clean cook stoves. We deliver these items directly to their homes in rural villages and they pay for them over time.

  • When women living in poverty have access to renewable energy and water, they see a dramatic increase in the quality of their lives. Money is spent on school fees for children instead of on kerosene lamps. Women can use the six hours they would have spent walking to a river for water or into the forest for fuel wood on income-generating activities. Women’s status in the home is elevated as they are the ones responsible for the dramatic changes that benefit the entire family.

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    When you purchase something from our shop, you are not only supporting local artisans from around Africa, you are helping us provide more loans for essential household items that radically improve the lives of women and their families.

There's a reason why they sell out

One of a kind and handmade by the women from our community

LET'S GO ✈️

Join us on one of our guided tours through Kenya

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Guided group tours in Kenya with cultural immersion and safari
Lamu Yoga Retreat | 2023 - Zawadisha
African Artisan Mystery Box
Geometric Brass Stacking Rings

JOURNAL

  • Poverty Is Sexist
    Poverty Is Sexist

    Poverty Is Sexist

    Why did we start Zawadisha? Well, poverty is sexist.

  • Adventures Beyond the Ordinary in Kenya
    Adventures Beyond the Ordinary in Kenya

    Adventures Beyond the Ordinary in Kenya

    Most people's idea of Kenya involves the predictable—safari vans clustered around a sleeping lion while tourists snap the same photos everyone else has. But Kenya has a side to it that most tourists never experience.

  • From Basket Lady to Trade Warrior: How African Imports and New Tariffs Are Shaping Zawadisha's Mission
    From Basket Lady to Trade Warrior: How African Imports and New Tariffs Are Shaping Zawadisha's Mission

    From Basket Lady to Trade Warrior: How African Imports and New Tariffs Are Shaping Zawadisha's Mission

    Little did our founder Jen Gurecki know that pivoting to retail would lead her down a path from desperate non-profit director to "The Basket Lady" at local farmers' markets, while simultaneously drawing her into global trade politics.

Read more