AfriBeads artisans are passionate about the ethical and natural homewares, jewellery and bags they create.
The products are all made with sustainable, natural and recycled materials which minimise the impact on the environment.
The baskets are woven from banana palm leaf and raffia which has the added benefit of giving income to the farmers and people who collect and sell these natural materials. The textures and hues of nature add a beautiful aesthetic to the baskets.
In the jewellery making we use recycled materials. The beads are made of paper, regenerating and giving purpose to waste paper discarded from local printing businesses in Kampala.
It is not just sourcing sustainable materials that helps reduce our impact on the environment, but also hand-made processes. The basket weaving uses age-old techniques that have changed very little over time. We celebrate these handmade skills and techniques, even though the work entailed is often more complex and takes considerably longer to make each piece.
While these hand-crafted products are sustainable and kind to the environment, they also are creating sustainable employment for the women artisans. In the AfriBeads group, the women are empowered to make decisions to grow their enterprise in Uganda. With our trading partners we seek transparency and fair practice, and have developed long-lasting and direct partnerships.
For the AfriBeads group, focusing on sustainability is both respecting the environment and supporting the women’s artisan livelihoods, creating opportunity and helping them to live a better life.
