Sawa Sawa Collection: Empathetic Listening.

Our priority is our artisan women in Kenya. They are the fuel that drives our passion. Our impact strategy is to help them overcome the unique challenges facing African rural women in Kenya.

We do this by appreciating the ancient skills they have mastered over their entire lives. Skills in beading, weaving, basketry, sculpting, art etc. We help them realize the value in their craft.

Through empathetic listening, we take away any prejudice or assumptions and really listen. We give them a chance to tell us what they really need and how we can really help. By not assuming what they might need, we get a chance to prioritize their needs and learn from them.

Our first priority is to make sure every woman has beads and tools to create. Any woman who wants to make a living should have the opportunity to do so. We buy the handmade products at fair market value to give them a sustainable income.

We use the profits to find lasting solutions to any problems they need help with. Here is where we shut up and really listen. Every village is different, every tribe is different. Different cultures have different ways of handling situations and different protocols allowing ‘outsiders’ in.

Empathetic listening helps us understand our place. We partner with the artisan women and allow them to guide us through their day to day experiences. Their happiness in simplicity is humbling. Their love and concern for one another is inspiring.