“I can now afford to educate my son who is physically challenged. By buying my products you have changed my life, and my family’s, positively.” Refugee craftsman, Mikono Crafts, Kenya
Every good father longs to give his son a safe, fulfilling future. But for the Dads amongst Nairobi’s estimated 100,000 refugees, it’s not something they can always offer. Some of these refugees escaped wars in Somalia, Rwanda and DR Congo. Others fled starvation during the East African famine. Each of them hopes their children will have a more secure future than what they have fled.
Starting a new life from scratch, though, can be almost as traumatic as what they have left behind. Mikono Crafts exists to help refugees in Nairobi – many of whom are living in slums – learn new skills, or use the skills they have, to earn an income and become self-sustaining.
Global Handicrafts sells several products made by refugees working with Mikono, including wooden carvings, adorable soft dolls and our popular banana fibre nativity sets.
See videos about their work here.
Almost 30 years ago, a small group of displaced Sudanese people in Cairo were battling this same problem, so they started a little workshop to make some means of living.
In a world where 1 billion children are living in poverty, we love nothing more than sowing seeds of compassion in even the littlest people in our community!
