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Ethnic Supplies

Ethnic Supplies supports women in the East African countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and Madagascar by sourcing handmade handicrafts and fashion accessories from suppliers that support women to be financially independent or directly from established women's groups in rural locations.

Some of the Producers

Our producers are all female and either work for themselves or are part of local women's group.

The biggest group is the Hand Products of Tanzania (HOT).

This group is made up 35 female entrepreneurs from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania under the leadership of Mrs Elihaika Mrema

Mrs Elihaika Mrema and her daughter

Elihaika (in white) is the team leader of HOT as well as a textile producer. She is wearing one of her dresses.

She promotes the work of the group and ensures that they have access to public funding to enable them to participate in high profile events

Some groups members are semi or illiterate and rely on her for issues such as pricing

Julia

Julia is a member of the HOT. She is a widow and looks after a family of nine. She was forced out of her village by fellow Masaai women who were concerned that she may go after their men.

Julia’s area of expertise is beading



Madame Rasolariosoa Henriette

Madame Rasolariosoa is a unique and rare African woman

Working from her home in Antananarivo Madagascar, she is pictured here with some of the ten men that she employs, they cut, sew etc to produce amazing baskets and bags


Madame Patricia

Madame Patricia specialises in silk textile. She has a workshop in a rural location where silk is produced.

She uses her home in Antananarivo as a show room for potential customers and employs other women who weave the silk yarn to produce scarves and silk suits.

Lillian Cydia Kyabagi

  

Lillian is 70 years old and is one of our weavers in Southwest Uganda. Lillian lives around Lake Bunyonyi, and the biggest change around the lake, according to her, is that bodies do not turn up in the lake as they used to do during Amin's time and that there has been an increase in tourism to the area. Lillian is a widow and was left penniless when her husband, who had three wives, died. She uses the papyrus on the shores of the lake to weave baskets, and before the arrival of a local co-operative, to which she belongs, she had no market access for her baskets. She is pleased that her baskets have found a new audience and that she is able to have an income from her weaving skills.

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