Operating under the belief that artisans are a driving force of community economic development, Kazi Goods is committed to improving the livelihoods of those in rural, impoverished African communities in Burundi, Ghana, Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda through sustainable employment.

Many of the women working for Kazi Goods are the primary income providers for their families and generate 4-5 times more income for each item they produce for Kazi Goods than they typically would get at local markets. This increased income not only provides them the means to put food on the table, it also allows them to invest in the health and education of their family and purchase property and livestock.

Artisans use local and renewable materials to create their baskets which are proudly displayed in their home as symbols of wealth and status. Deep symbolic meaning is woven into each basket with patterns representing the beauty of the landscape, finding strength and unity in the tumult of history, and celebrating kinship with loved ones through all of life’s events.