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
  • Warmth & Autumn Leaf Earrings
    Warmth & Autumn Leaf Earrings

    Warmth & Autumn Leaf Earrings

    $42.00
    Regular price
    Unit price per
    Sold Out
  • Akabeko Earrings
    Akabeko Earrings

    Akabeko Earrings

    $42.00
    Regular price
    Unit price per
    Sold Out
  • Warmth & Rolling Stone Earrings
    Warmth & Rolling Stone Earrings

    Warmth & Rolling Stone Earrings

    $42.00
    Regular price
    Unit price per
  • Rock & A Hard Place Necklace
    Rock & A Hard Place Necklace

    Rock & A Hard Place Necklace

    $49.00
    Regular price
    Unit price per

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.

  •

    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
  • Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini na Tatu
    Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini na Tatu

    Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini na Tatu

    $25.00
    Sold Out
  • Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini na Bili
    Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini na Bili

    Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini na Bili

    $25.00
    Sold Out
  • Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini na Moja
    Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini na Moja

    Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini na Moja

    $25.00
    Sold Out
  • Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini
    Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini

    Sisal Thick Weave Basket | Tisini

    $25.00
    Sold Out

  • “My house does not leak anymore because of the iron sheets I got from Zawadisha.”

    Guidencia wakufa, uwezo women's Group

  • “I no longer need to search for water now that I have my water tank, and my quality of life is much improved. ”

    Rose Wanjala, Msangarinyi Women's Group

  • “When I am finished with my loan for solar lights, I will take another loan for another product. My solar light means that I don't have to use paraffin anymore, which is much healthier for my family.”

    Betty Zighe Mwawughanga, Msangarinyi Women's Group

  • “Thanks for the water tank & solar lamp, I can now focus at night on creating baskets to sell to supplement my income.”

    Nzikwa Masonge, Kisimenyi Basket Weaving Women's Group

LET'S GO ✈️

Join us on one of our guided tours through Kenya
  • Cycling Safari - Zawadisha
    Change Makers Cycling Trip | 2023 - Zawadisha

    Cycling Safari

    $250.00+
  • Change Makers Cycling Trip | 2023 - Zawadisha
    Change Makers Cycling Trip | 2023 - Zawadisha

    Change Makers Cycling Tour

    $250.00+
  • Guided group tours in Kenya with cultural immersion and safari
    You will be greeted with traditional African dance when you arrive

    Secret Gems of Kenya Tour

    $250.00+

Sign Up for Our Newsletter

Get behind the scenes info on our work in Kenya, the latest product drops, and save 15% off your first order!GET IN ON THE FUN

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