We partner with local charitable organizations to supply us with lovingly handmade gifts that we hope that you, our guests, will treasure forever.
There are many global charitable organizations to choose from, however we have chosen projects that are not already in the limelight and would benefit from further support and who know we can rely on to provide high-quality products. Through our guest gift purchasing efforts we aim to boost the self-esteem of artisans who would otherwise not have an opportunity to live a normal and financially independent life. Our on-the-ground presence allows us to personally witness and appraise the positive impact of our partnerships. Here are just a few of our favorite talented gift makers!
Indian Inspiration
Our friends at Tamana in Delhi, India, create the most beautiful inspired traditional Indian crafts!
Tamana’s products are proof that every person on earth can provide value and beauty on earth. Every single item is produced in the rehabilitation center by talented physically and mentally challenged individuals. The team craft beautiful textiles made in the traditional North Indian style of block printing and tie and dye, which create gorgeous scarves and clothing. Papier mache and paper crafts are utilized to make a wide selection of handmade gift paper, greeting cards, table mats, paper lamps, and miniature boxes. In the pottery studio gorgeous decorative wall mobiles, and diyas for Diwali, India’s festival of light.
If you wish to celebrate Rakhi, when women tie motif-adorned bracelets to their brothers, then you can purchase traditional Rakhi bracelets here too. Tamana also boast a yummy selection of flavored cakes and cookies!
Of the African Earth
We have forged friendships with many artisan groups in Kenya. We simple love the studio at Kazuri, which supports over 340 disadvantaged, single mothers who make stunning ceramic jewelry and pottery out of the natural clay, in Nairobi, Kenya.
Kazuri, which means “small and beautiful” in the Kiswahili language, is a member of World Fair Trade Organization.
Their selection of handmade beads is so beautiful – you can literally feel the finger indentations of the individuals who lovingly made them, and they are turned into a most wonderful and unique collection of necklaces, bracelets and drop earrings. The beads are fired several times before being glazed and decorated, meaning they are super strong so that if you were to drop them onto a hard surface, they do not break. We adore these timeless treasures.
Watch Kazuri in Action
Kazuri Beads
Also in Nairobi, over at the Jacaranda Workshop, people with disabilities gain a skill and an income as they use their hands to make stunning costume jewelry. Wooden beads, seed beads, fabric beads and ceramic beads are turned into wonderfully unique, and high-quality items for you to wear with pride.
Trash to Treasure in Tanzania
We have had a long-term partnership with our partners at Shanga who provide training and an income to over 70 disabled women out of their open workshop in Arusha, Tanzania.
As the Shanga team tell us, “Kindness is a language blind people see and deaf people hear.”
The ladies make the most incredible, high-quality handmade homewares, jewelry, and glassware, using a diverse range of materials, including glass, paper, fabric and metal gifts which all come from recycled materials. They also create traditional artworks in the colorful and vibrant style of Tanzanian artist Edward Tingatinga. All the profits are reinvested to provide more employment opportunities and for business development, so there’s always a new product to discover.
Watch Shanga in Action
Shanga at Traders Walk – Elewana Collection
Naturally Nepalese
In Nepal, we are working with SADLE (New Skill and Development Learning Experience) who provide work opportunities to 80 Nepalese people who have leprosy or polio. The group have the flexibility of working from their home or at the center, and produce a variety of beautiful 100% cotton textile products using the traditional hand-woven technique of Dhaka. The group make curtains, wall hangings, cushion covers, napkins, placemats, makeup kits, money purses, pencil cases, table cloths and bed covers in an array of geometric patterns and sizes and, napkins, placemats, cushion covers, bags, pencil cases, make up kits and money purses.
These talented artisans also produce high-quality, durable heavy cotton and hemp bags, felt items such as children’s play mats, meditation mats and decorative felt flowers, glass beaded jewelry, seasonal batik greeting cards, natural handmade lokta paper products, flavored Himalayan tea grown under organic certified conditions, as well as soap nuts, a natural product for washing your laundry.
You can even purchase the classic singing bowls in a variety of shapes, sizes, designs, colors and engravings, and an array of ceramic items that are exported overseas. SADLE is a member of both air Trade Group Nepal and the World Fair Trade Organization.
SADLE also has a small home for the elderly and have established a local school called the Lovely Angel School that supports nearly 600 children, of whom 80 students are the children of the organization’s beneficiaries and receive a free education.
Sweet Treats
We also source consumable items made within the local regions to which our guests are traveling, whether it is delicious handmade single origin chocolate from Ecuador, wine from Chilean vineyards, or banana chips in India.
Expect to be surprised on your journey!
How you can get involved
If you wish to know the story behind our gifts, we are always happy to arrange visits to the production facilities of our partner organizations where you can gain a behind-the-scenes perspective of these stunning handmade creations.