✨ Save 20% on all goods through June with the code SPREADTHELOVE ✨ Orders over $150 ship free ✨ Say hello to us IRL at the Reno Farmers' Markets all summer long! ✨

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
  • Setting Sun & Warmth Earrings - Zawadisha
    Setting Sun & Warmth Earrings - Zawadisha

    Setting Sun & Warmth Earrings

    $39.00
  • Autumn Leaf Earrings - Zawadisha
    Autumn Leaf Earrings - Zawadisha

    Autumn Leaf Earrings

    $39.00
    Sold Out
  • Golden Rays Earrings - Zawadisha
    Golden Rays Earrings - Zawadisha

    Golden Rays Earrings

    $39.00
    Sold Out
  • Setting Sun Earrings - Zawadisha
    Setting Sun Earrings - Zawadisha

    Setting Sun Earrings

    $39.00

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.

  • “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
  • Sisal Thick Weave Bag | Zebra - Zawadisha
  • Sisal Thick Weave Bag | Zebra - Zawadisha
  • Sisal Thick Weave Bag | Zebra - Zawadisha
  • Sisal Thick Weave Bag | Zebra - Zawadisha

Sisal Thick Weave Bag | Zebra

Regular price
Details

This thick weave sisal bag is a work of art, handmade in Taita-Taveta, a rural county in Kenya where Zawadisha calls home. The women who weave these baskets are not only supported by being paid a fair wage for their weaving, but they also are supported by our microlending program.

We absolutely love the striking simplicity of this weave that reminds us of the wildlife that dots the landscape of Africa.

Perfect for the farmer's market, a trip to the store, or that corner of a room that needs a little love.

LET'S GO ✈️

Join us on one of our guided tours through Kenya
  • Bikeadisha Cycling Trip | 2024 - Zawadisha
    Change Makers Cycling Trip | 2023 - Zawadisha

    Pedal Power

    $250.00+
  • Bikeadisha Cycling Trip | 2024 - Zawadisha
    Change Makers Cycling Trip | 2023 - Zawadisha

    Cycling Safari

    $250.00+
  • Climb Kili - Zawadisha
    Climb Kili - Zawadisha

    Climb Kili

    $250.00+
Ndora Planter - Zawadisha
Uvira X-Large Bowl - Zawadisha
Maraba X-Large Bowl - Zawadisha
Chwele X-Large Bowl - Zawadisha

JOURNAL

  • A little list of things to love about Nairobi
    A little list of things to love about Nairobi

    A little list of things to love about Nairobi

    When you join us on a cycling tour through Kenya, we always recommend you arrive in Nairobi a day or two early to rest and recharge. There is so much to do in the capital city of Kenya that you might want to add an extra day to your trip!

  • ✨ The 10 Steps of Sourcing New Baskets ✨
    ✨ The 10 Steps of Sourcing New Baskets ✨

    ✨ The 10 Steps of Sourcing New Baskets ✨

    Sourcing new handmade baskets from Africa isn't always easy. Sometimes you have to literally go to great lengths to find them. Our soon-to-be-released collection was months in the making, and here's how we did it.
  • These are the hands that make your baskets ❤️
    These are the hands that make your baskets ❤️

    These are the hands that make your baskets ❤️

    We take great pride in the handmade goods we curate from across Africa, ensuring people are paid well and that we are enriching communities, rather than extracting from them. While our core work is providing small loans for household items with big impact in rural Kenya, our side hustle of selling goods is important for a few reasons.
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