SAWA SAWA IMPACT PROGRAMS

Donate Concept Paper

Our mission

Our mission is to use fashion to instill value and improve the quality of life for the artisan women and their families.

SAWA SAWA means ‘it will be okay’ in Swahili. It is our promise to the artisan women in small villages in Kenya who create our products. We founded SAWA SAWA to design and create fashion accessories and bags in the ways of old. We partner with women to harness ancient craftsmanship in beading, weaving, basketry and art.
We started this journey to create circular fashion, products that could be used and circulated responsibly and effectively in society for as long as possible and then returned safely to the earth when no longer of human use. We quickly learned that success for us was measured by more than just numbers. Through direct communication and empathetic listening, we understand the unique challenges facing individuals, families and communities in our artisan communities. We use the revenue from the fashion brand, donations and strategic partnerships to create lasting, sustainable solutions and improve the quality of life for the artisans while preserving the traditions, culture and craftsmanship.

SAWA SAWA has created two programs to impact and empower women and adolescent girls:

Our Vision

Our vision is a world where women are empowered to lead, uplift, and inspire the next generation of women. We envision sustainable solutions to poverty where our programs and artisans become self-sustaining, creating a ripple effect of economic independence and community growth. By preserving and passing down the skills and art of creating sustainable fashion, we honor cultural heritage and promote leadership among women.

We aim to cultivate women leaders who uplift other women, families, and communities, building a future where locally owned and led solutions become the foundation for lasting change. Our approach begins with alleviating poverty today and fostering systems that communities can operate and grow, ensuring a momentum that lasts for generations.

We believe in listening to women and following their lead in addressing climate issues, cultural, tribal, and gender challenges that hinder their growth and prosperity. Empowering women leads to holistic solutions, addressing nutritional, health, educational, early marriage, child mortality, and many other challenges that economic and social independence can resolve. Our vision is a sustainable future where empowered women drive change, build resilience, and create a thriving, equitable world for all.

Economic Independence for Women.

Our primary program is to ensure that every woman with the drive and willingness to create products for sale has the tools and materials to do so. To empower all women, we provide beads, sisal, crafting tools and other requested supplies to the artisan women needing some help to get started. We buy the end product from all women to give them an income. This allows the women to not only feed their families, but also helps develop self-confidence and pride in the community.

Reproductive Health Education and Menstrual Hygiene Kits to Keep Girls in School

The most important thing in empowering girls and preparing them to become empowered women of substance is a proper, consistent education. We will provide reproductive health education and a menstruation hygiene kit to every girl in the artisan women’s villages, consisting of sanitary pads, underwear, and soap. We provide the village schools with these supplies for the girls as needed. The artisan women have constantly expressed a deep desire to see their daughters educated and successful. The lack of sanitary towels has been a huge hindrance for adolescent girls. 65% of girls in rural Kenya do not have access to period resources. During menstruation, girls are not allowed to attend school. They miss a week of school every month to bleed. Female anatomy is a taboo topic in most areas. In some homes, they are kicked out because they are “unclean.” By teaching the girls about the changes happening to their body and providing menstrual hygiene kits to them, the girls can have safety, dignity and privacy during their periods. Our program makes it possible for women to achieve equality and compete with men in the same environment.

Free Medical Camps for Women

Our partnership with Benacare enables us to bring heahe’s,care to the women artisans in their villages.

Our artisan villages are in Nairobi, Oliotoktok – on the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, Maasai Mara, Ngong’, Kitui and Kiserian. We hope to add more villages as we grow and acquire more funding.

We hope to find like-minded organizations to help us create a safe space for girls to dream and achieve and empower women through work.

Click to read our concept paper.

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Reach out through info@sawasawausa.com

#keepgirlsinschool   #endperiodpoverty   #empowergirls #empowerwomen

SAWA SAWA's areas of impact include:

1. Women's Empowerment and Economic Opportunity: SAWA SAWA empowers artisan women in Kenya by providing sustainable livelihoods through traditional craftsmanship. The organization helps these women earn a fair income, develop entrepreneurial skills, and achieve financial independence.

2. Education and Youth Development: SAWA SAWA is dedicated to empowering the next generation, particularly through initiatives focused on the African girl child. The organization supports menstrual hygiene education and provides hygiene kits, ensuring girls have the dignity, privacy, and resources to stay in school.

3. Sustainable and Ethical Production: The brand is committed to eco-friendly, sustainable practices. By using biodegradable plant fibers like sisal and locally sourced materials, SAWA SAWA promotes circular economy principles and ethical production, minimizing environmental impact.

4. Community Development: SAWA SAWA works closely with local communities, building strong partnerships with artisans, schools, and local organizations. This community-driven approach ensures that their initiatives are aligned with the needs and aspirations of the people they serve.

5. Cultural Preservation: By celebrating and modernizing traditional Kenyan weaving techniques, SAWA SAWA preserves age-old crafts and promotes cultural heritage, offering unique, high-quality, handcrafted products to a global market.

6. Environmental Stewardship: Inspired by ancestral practices of living in harmony with nature, SAWA SAWA focuses on sustainability in every aspect of its operations, from sourcing raw materials responsibly to promoting slow fashion and waste reduction.

These impact areas align with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as gender equality, quality education, decent work, responsible consumption and production, and life on land.