Purchases that make a difference

I recently had a box of precious handcrafted items sent to my doorstep via Erin at

Rare and Beautiful Treasures.  A few weeks ago she had a giveaway to introduce a new company,

Karama, doing great work on behalf of Ethiopian women and I won!  You can pop over to Erin’s

blog for pictures of what I won since hers will do the items better justice than mine J

 By visiting Karama's web site  I found this history about the company:  “Karama is an Arabic word meaning dignity and a Swahili word meaning something to share.  It is our hope to share dignity and share life.” 

Their founder says:  “While living in Ethiopia, I developed friendships with many women who seemed to have no way out of the poverty they were in. Many were selling local food, their own clothes, or even their bodies just to be able to send their children to school or to provide food for their elderly loved ones. They seldom thought about their own needs. These women were natural entrepreneurs and creators. We would brainstorm a little idea...give them a small skill to use and POOF they were off to try it...always creating and working hard to sell what they had made. They taught me so much about graciousness, value and dignity. I wanted to help them sell their products. I realized that every dollar spent on these products was a vote for these women to be successful. Karama was born.”

Be sure to check out this website and read about the featured artisans and what a difference has been made in their quality of life through this work.  They have a wide range of products available for purchase.  My box contained hand woven baskets, a journal, a fabric headband and a pair of paper beaded earrings.  Each piece was unique and special.    

If you haven’t visited Erin’s blog Rare and Beautiful Treasures please do so.  She has a wonderful heart, shares great photos, decorating tips and tenderly written posts full of faith and family.    

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2 comments

  1. I love new bloggers!

    Thanks for stopping by my place last week and for introducing me to Karama. I keep a running list of companies like this, and therefore, I'm off to check them out.

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    1. Thanks for the comment and the follow - you made my day :)

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