International Literacy Day, Handmade Hopewell and SEW much more!

Just in time for yesterday’s International Literacy Day, we received pictures from our Enoosaen sewing shop that is temporarily turned into a classroom.

The seamstresses in our Enoosaen location only have up to a 4th grade education; one has never even had the opportunity to attend school. In order to sew school uniforms, seamstresses need to be able to take measurements and write notes. These basics are difficult when one is not educated. So, with the help of a very special teacher, the seamstresses are now learning basic reading, writing and counting.

We met this new, very special teacher in Enoosaen back in 2011 — Agnes Netaya Kimpuk was a fourteen year-old girl who had been disowned by her father for refusing FGM. Agnes and her mom were trying to sell bracelets to pay for school fees. Agnes became the inspiration for and the first participant in our Enkisoma beading program. Agnes and her mom continued to bead, and the Enkisoma Program funded her school feels and all school-related expenses through graduation. Agnes is now studying to be a teacher at Kenyatta University, Kenya’s premier university. Due to graduate in December 2020, her graduation had been postponed to Spring 2022 because of the pandemic. During this down time, Agnes has been a key contributor with our field team, helping our Pamoja program and all that needs to be done. As importantly, she volunteered to return to Enoosaen to teach our Seeds to Sew seamstresses how to read, write, and count in order to sew school uniforms. She has come full circle – and this is just the beginning for her and the seamstresses.

We couldn’t be any more proud of Agnes, and of all of our participants, who persist through SEW much hardship in life, but continue to keep a positive attitude and put one foot in front of the other every day. They are moving forward. These are empowered women.

Handmade Hopewell is back! This Sunday, Sept 12th from 10-4 on Seminary Avenue in Hopewell Boro featuring Artists, Crafters, and Makers of super cool stuff.
You won’t want to miss it!

Thanks to your generous donations and some serious star-alignment, we received our first large shipment from Kenya this summer! Lots of volunteers helped us get the inventory organized and cleaned. We are eternally grateful for your help in scorching heat of the summer, while you could be lying by the pool. We appreciate you.

Our shop is ripping in stitches with new inventory of beautiful colorful Kitenge aprons, wrap-skirts, shopping bags and knapsacks, and of course Enkiteng gift wrapping bags, jewelry and other crafts made in Kenya.

We also have new pop-up items from our Fair Trade Federation friends:

Dunitz & Company — jewelry from Guatemala
Sustainable Threads — table linens, bags, scarves, apparel, jewelry, cards and notebooks from India
Sévya Handmade — cuff bracelets, silk, wool and cotton scarves from India
Trades of Hope — jewelry and scarves from India and Haiti

All products at our shop are handmade by artisans and Fair Trade verified.