Mahika Goel
December 13, 2017
An eco-friendly cloth bag that can be used for almost 
anything – from a pillow to a party? Impossible? Not at all – our design patented Enkiteng Bags do the job! They can be used as gift wrapping bags or party favors, as traveling bags, as storage, as laundry bags, salad spinner or even as a pillow-case! The sturdy Enkiteng bags are made of donated fabric (upcycled!) of all kinds of patterns and colors and come in a variety of sizes to befit your use in mind. Not only are these amazing bags beautiful and multipurpose, they are also eco-friendly and socially responsible as well! Women in our programs living in rural Kenya make the Enkiteng bags. The learn how to sew by making these beautiful bags which empowers them and offers them a sustainable income.
One of our amazingly skilled seamstresses, Naoroi Ene Ntaiyia, said “Before I joined the program, I used to do farming and casual labor for less than a dollar per day. I grow vegetables on my land and I also used to rent additional farmland so I could grow more vegetables and sell them on the market. I was also buying maize and reselling it for profit. Before I joined the Enkiteng program, I didn’t have a bank account or any livestock. Now I have a bank account with a little bit of money saved aside, 4 dairy cows and enough money to buy food and clothes for my family, pay school tuition for all 6 children. I am also building a bigger house for my family to live comfortably. Thank you for the Enkiteng program. It has brought light to the Maasai – people are amazed to see that the Maasai women can sew!”
The same difference is made in all of the seamstresses’ lives, empowering them, encouraging them to work and helping their families have a sustainable income. By buying the Enkiteng bags, you directly contribute to this mission. As if these many amazing qualities weren’t enough, the Enkiteng bags are eco-friendly as well! They are made out of donated fabric and can be reused countless times for a variety of uses. Need ideas? Some are listed below. Get your new Enkiteng bag soon, by ordering it online, at www.seedstosew.org or buying it at our shop in Hopewell, NJ, through our resellers and at our scheduled events. Enjoy!
The Uses of the Enkiteng Bags
- Use them to wrap gifts! They will adapt to your gift’s size and shape, and provide the gift recipient a sturdy beautiful bag in addition to their gift! These bags are great for party favors too!
- Use it when traveling! Don’t you just hate it when all your makeup gets all mixed up with your clothes, or the plastic bag holding your shoes rips and gets dirt everywhere? Well, not anymore! Enkiteng bags are washable and reusable!
- Use it for protecting your delicates in washing machine! Just put them in an Enkiteng bag and toss them into the washer with all your other clothes!
- Use it as a lunchbag! You need the right size, for the right meal. Create a handle by folding it over a few times and tying the ribbon together.
- What about storage? It’s awful when you can’t find something you need, but that won’t happen anymore – organize your small items in separate Enkiteng bags and hang them in your closet or shed!
- Annoyed when your books get bent or torn inside of your suitcase? Enkiteng bags will protect your books – an invincible shield.
- Want to spruce up the living room? Wrap your old throw pillows in Enkiteng bags for an instant new look!
- Yikes! A neck cramp! Scoop some uncooked rice into an Enkiteng bag, roll and tie to secure it inside, zap in microwave for 30 secs and enjoy immediate tension relief.
- Washing lettuce and no salad spinner in sight? Look no further – Enkiteng bag at your service! Simply put washed lettuce leaves in an Enkiteng bag, hold the bag closed and spin it around (we recommend doing this outside, but it is lots of fun and works really well! Your lettuce will be ready for salad in no time at all!)
- Camping and forgot a pillow? Stuff your sweatshirt inside an Enkiteng bag and fret no more! Staying in a hotel and want that smell of your home with you at night? Hotel pillows fit perfectly in your Enkiteng bags that can be washed over and over.
- The uses of these bags are not limited to those listed above. Use your imagination and share your ideas with us on Instagram, Facebook or send us pictures to [email protected]!
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”Enkiteng” means “cow” in the Maasai language. Since the Maasai community is the first community where we launched the sewing program, we felt that this name was fitting. A cow symbolizes freedom, wealth, and power in this community. Cows are valued as being the most giving animal as they provide milk on a daily basis, and meat in times of need. Cows are also the dowry that is paid by a groom’s family for a girl’s hand in marriage.
