Women's Basket Project (SWEP)

The Women's Basket Project was created by:

-American Friends of Kenya
-Our partner and friend, Deb Naybor from Both Your Hands
-Our friend and supporter Brian Ball, and
-SHOFCO and its Director, Kennedy Odede, who manages the project on the ground and provides space in the SHOFCO office for the women to work

The project started in June 2007 out of the needs expressed to Kennedy from the women of Kibera.

Deb Naybor, from Both Your Hands, has been to Uganda and Kenya this past June to visit the different groups with microcredit projects.

  The baskets made by the women will be available for purchase from Both Your Hands.                                       

About the SWEP Women:

The 16 women in the SWEP project are women living with AIDS in Kibera.  Most of them are widows with children. About half of these children cannot go to school because their mothers cannot afford it.

Deb Naybor said about the SWEP women and the project: "Seeing the SWEP women already working on making jewelry let me know that they are hungry, not just for food, but also hungry for a better life. I have worked with many groups around Africa, but each group is different and each group must teach me about what they need and want before I can help them design a project that will work well."

Click Here to Read the Women's Profiles...

That is why her trip was so important to learn these women's stories, issues, needs and ideas about solutions.  Based on this insight, Deb helped Kennedy create the SWEP project.  Now, the next step is being taken by providing the women with more extensive training to make the high Fabric baskets that will be sold both in the Kenya and in the.

Initial Investment:
30,000 ksh
First two months of training
Improvements to the building
Stabilizing the lives of the women so that they are healthier and able to work some hours to make more funds.

Training:
Cost of 8400 KSH or $131 (for the first two months)
Hiring a trainer (HIV positive and a widow) to help the women to make better products creates a job for the trainer while also teaching the women new skills. 
Training is very important in the beginning of a new project.

The business:
When the jewelry is finished we purchase these and wire the money to SWEP. These funds are used to buy supplies, pay for training and food, and improvements to the building where the women work. Sometimes, we will get big orders but will only be able to pay each woman for making the jewelry but not earn anything extra for the SWEP group. This still helps the members to earn more funds and is used to earn funds for SHOFCO, VCK or other NGO groups, not to make profit for Both Your Hands (Deb Naybor), SHOFCO (Kennedy Odede) or us, American Friends of Kenya.

The jewelry will be sold at home parties or fair trade stores in the US.  If you would like to host a "home party" or sell the jewelry at your business, please contact Marisa in Chicago, Emely in CT or Deb Naybor in New York.

NOW!!!  Order jewelry and crafts to be shipped to you!  Click here for more details...

***Some of SWEP jewelry is currently being sold at Global Hands Fair Tarde Shop in Lake Geneva, WI.*** 
Visit their website for more information.

Future opportunities for the women:
Sewing machines
Tailoring classes/training 
Open a small shop/business

To donate to this initiative, please click here and please note "SWEP PROJECT" in the "message" section of your donation page.

Thanks