Things in my House Thursday

In June, I showed you my lovely birthday gifts from my family and friends. As promised, I am elaborating on the Salad Serving Set that I received from our daughter Amy. I knew in an instant that this was not an ordinary set...this set is handcrafted from olive wood, grown in Kenya. The handles are inlaid with cow horn, adorned in traditional African designs. Amy purchased this with the help of one of her friends that she met during her UNL undergrad years. This salad fork and spoon set was handcrafted in Kenya...and sold under the name Woodsmoke. This purchase actively supports an African artist and her family. The design illustrates the love, the longing, and the pull that Africa has on our hearts.

Meet Miriam Kamanthe
She started her business selling curios in 1995 as a means to provide for her family. She has two children, a son Christopher who is 15 and a daughter, Dorothy who is 18. Her husband is unemployed but helps her out every day with her business running errands for her. Her business supports her family as well as pays for rent, utilities and school fees for her children. In a good year her business would make about $2,600, but this year due to a drop in tourism business has not been that good and she has made only $650.
In the future she would like to open her own store where she would not have to daily move merchandise to and from the shop. In order for this to happen she would have to make $3,850 a year and this is where Woodsmoke has come to partner with her. We want to provide local African artisans with an international market thereby increasing their ability to make a profit and in turn improving their lives and helping them to achieve their dreams.