JOURNAL

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.

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.

Inspire Inclusion is this year's theme for International Women's Day, and that's just what we do daily at Zawadisha: We take action to break down barriers, challenge stereotypes, and create environments where all women are valued and respected.

In a world that often races from one destination to the next, the concept of "slow travel" has emerged not just a pace, but a mindset and approach to exploration that values depth over speed and experiences over checklists. What does slow travel mean in the heart of East Africa? Let's embark on a Zawadisha pedal-powered adventure to find out.

There are a lot of women in Kenya who are really happy that we got into the business of selling baskets. But it wasn't always something we prioritized, nor did we see it coming. Learn why we do now and how it's impacting women's lives across Africa.

Some of you have been with us for more than a decade, following along the twists and turns of our evolution. Some of you are new, just learning about our work. Whether this is the first or the I-don't-know-who's-counting blog you've received, I wanted to take a moment and share a bit about Zawadisha.