About SAWA SAWA

Ancient craftsmanship. Empowered women. Sustainable futures.

SAWA SAWA means “It will be well” in Swahili. These words are more than our name. They are a promise, a belief, and a reflection of the extraordinary resilience of the women at the heart of our mission.

We are a Black woman-founded, Austin-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit brand working alongside artisan women in Kenya to create sustainable solutions to poverty through traditional craftsmanship, ethical commerce, and community-driven opportunity.

We believe every woman deserves the opportunity to build a dignified livelihood, provide for her family, and shape her own future.

Our mission is sacred. The women we serve are at its heart.

Our Story: From a Small Beginning to a Global Mission

SAWA SAWA began in 2014 with a simple idea.

Our founder, Anne Drane, wanted to reconnect with her Kenyan roots while sharing the beauty of traditional African craftsmanship with the world.

Her mother began visiting rural artisan villages in Kenya, purchasing handmade baskets and other beautiful creations from women whose skills had been passed down through generations.

Anne introduced these products to customers in the United States through online marketplaces and local markets in Texas.

What began as a small connection between women in Kenya and customers in America soon grew into something much greater.

More women wanted to participate. More families began benefiting from income earned through their craftsmanship. A vision emerged: to build a sustainable organization that connected ancient skills to modern economic opportunity.

In 2019, SAWA SAWA formally became a nonprofit organization, creating a foundation for expanding artisan livelihoods and supporting the communities in which the women live and work.

2025: A Defining Year of Transformation

Every meaningful journey has moments that test its foundation.

In September 2025, SAWA SAWA experienced a serious leadership and governance challenge involving an attempted external takeover of the organization.

It was a difficult chapter, but one that ultimately became an unexpected catalyst for growth.

The experience revealed important opportunities to strengthen our organizational structure, financial accountability, communications, and operational safeguards.

With the support of our Board of Directors, advisors, partners, and friends of SAWA SAWA, we embraced the opportunity to build something stronger.

We renewed our commitment to the mission and began transforming the way we operate.

We strengthened our financial and accounting systems, established clearer processes for budgets and expenditures, improved operational documentation, expanded our communication and reporting systems, and introduced policies that reinforce accountability at every level.

We also strengthened our leadership and advisory structure, bringing together people whose expertise, integrity, and commitment to the mission help guide our work.

Today, information is shared across teams, decisions are documented, responsibilities are clearly defined, and institutional knowledge is preserved.

Our organization is designed to thrive through collaboration, transparency, and shared accountability, without depending on any one individual.

What once exposed our vulnerabilities became the very experience that helped us build lasting institutional strength.

Inspired by the Women We Serve

Perhaps the greatest lesson came from the women who inspired SAWA SAWA in the first place.

Our artisans know resilience.

They have navigated droughts, economic uncertainty, limited access to resources, and the everyday challenges of building livelihoods in rural communities.

Yet they continue to create, innovate, provide for their families, and support one another.

Their courage has always been the heartbeat of our mission.

And when SAWA SAWA faced its own difficult season, their example reminded us of something powerful:

Adversity can become the foundation for extraordinary strength.

The resilience and bravery of our artisans inspired us to approach our challenges with the same determination they bring to their lives and craftsmanship.

We learned. We adapted. We rebuilt.

And we emerged with a renewed understanding of what sustainability truly means: strong women, strong communities, strong systems, and a mission capable of enduring for generations.

2026: A New Chapter of Growth and Possibility

The results of this transformation are already taking shape.

In 2026, SAWA SAWA earned the Candid Platinum Seal of Transparency, reflecting our commitment to sharing organizational information and impact openly.

We strengthened our data collection and reporting, allowing us to make more informed decisions about artisan participation, production capacity, community needs, and responsible expansion.

We welcomed additional artisan women and expanded our network of villages, creating new opportunities for economic participation.

We strengthened relationships with retail partners and expanded our marketplace presence, helping connect the work of Kenyan artisans with customers across the United States and beyond.

We also expanded our advisory capacity and professional expertise, bringing additional perspectives to financial stewardship, governance, operations, and long-term strategy.

Our growth is intentional. Every new partnership, system, and opportunity is guided by the same question:

How does this create lasting, sustainable opportunity for the women at the heart of our mission?

Our Leadership and Governance

SAWA SAWA is supported by a growing network of professionals, advisors, board members, and dedicated team members across the United States, Kenya, and Bangladesh.

Executive Leadership

Anne Drane — Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Anne leads SAWA SAWA's mission, strategic direction, retail partnerships, fundraising, and organizational development. Her background in finance, entrepreneurship, and social impact informs a leadership approach centered on sustainable growth, accountability, and women-led solutions.

Mitchelle Chepkemboi — Operations & Administration Manager, Kenya

Mitchelle oversees Kenya operations, artisan coordination, production processes, operational reporting, and administrative systems. Her work helps connect day-to-day activities with SAWA SAWA's organizational goals and commitment to transparency.

Our wider team contributes expertise in artisan engagement, communications, e-commerce, logistics, quality control, and brand development.

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors provides organizational oversight, strategic guidance, and stewardship of our nonprofit mission.

The board supports responsible decision-making, financial accountability, governance policies, and long-term sustainability.

Advisory Board and Specialist Committees

Our advisors bring expertise in finance, nonprofit governance, operational systems, ethical production, organizational development, and strategic partnerships.

Together, our leadership, board, and advisors help ensure that SAWA SAWA remains mission-driven, transparent, resilient, and prepared for responsible growth.

[Meet Our Leadership, Board & Advisors]

Our Work Today

At the center of everything we do are the women whose hands create SAWA SAWA.

Through weaving, beading, leatherwork, and other forms of traditional craftsmanship, women earn income, preserve cultural knowledge, and strengthen their economic independence.

Our work focuses on three closely connected priorities:

Sustainable Artisan Livelihoods

We connect artisan women to markets, support ethical production, strengthen local capacity, and create opportunities for reliable income.

Resources That Help Women Thrive

We support practical needs that affect women's well-being and economic participation, including access to water, solar lighting, and sustainable menstrual health resources.

Community and Wildlife Conservation

We work with communities living alongside wildlife, recognizing that economic resilience, community well-being, and conservation are deeply connected.

We believe sustainable change begins when women have the resources and opportunity to shape their own futures.

A Mission Built to Last

Our journey has taught us that sustainability extends beyond the products we make.

It lives in the livelihoods we help create, the relationships we nurture, the systems we build, and the trust we earn.

Today, SAWA SAWA stands on a stronger foundation, supported by dedicated people, clearer systems, growing partnerships, and the extraordinary women who inspire us every day.

We are excited about what lies ahead.

And we invite you to be part of it.

Join Us in Building What's Next

Shop with purpose. Discover beautiful, ethically made baskets, bags, jewelry, and accessories crafted by women artisans in Kenya.

Give with confidence. Support our nonprofit mission and help expand sustainable economic opportunities for women.

Partner with us. Join us through retail partnerships, corporate giving, grants, sponsorships, professional expertise, and collaborative initiatives.

Share our story. Help introduce more people to the power of women's craftsmanship and economic independence.

Every purchase, contribution, partnership, and act of support helps carry this mission forward.

From the resilience of our artisans to the strength of our organization, we are living the meaning of our name.

SAWA SAWA. It will be well.