Swahili African Modern
Benevolent. Encouraging. Sustainable.
Celebrating the artistry of modern Africa, Swahili African Modern focuses on building a network of talented African artisans through conscientious and sustainable product development. Swahili acts as a multi-network tool, connecting African artisans, export agents, and micro-enterprises in the nations of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Lesotho, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana and South Sudan.
Since 1995, Swahili African Modern has created a global network composed of private collectors, online and brick-and-mortar retail stores, museums, and educational institutions on six continents. Each order helps build prosperity in African communities and supports sustainable practices.
Social Responsibility
Swahili believes in the potential for a sustainable network of trade between Africa and the United States. Since every transaction that occurs influences how African producers perceive American business, the company operations focus on responsible practices that promote growth and cultural affinity.
Swahili believes that hardworking African artisans, producers, and export agents hold the key to their own personal success, and that the path to success requires a steady, committed pace.
Swahili extends each artisan's channel of trade from local markets to the global marketplace, while allowing artisans to work from the comfort of their own homes and communities. Secure in the knowledge that the fair payment they receive will not be reduced by traveling expenses, childcare costs, and haggled prices, most artisans in the Swahili network promote their family's future by using earnings to put food on the table and pay educational expenses for their children.
"Swahili remains dedicated to providing a forum of positive exchange between African artisans and consumers around the world."
Swahili is a member of the Fair Trade Federation, a group of like-minded companies and organizations that adhere to providing fair payment to workers in developing nations, educating artisans and workers to increase their potential for advancement, developing products and processes that protect and conserve the natural environment, and promoting fair trade as the standard in commercial exchanges.
Swahili is a small company whose orders provide many African artisans with a vital supplemental income.
Even with a small staff, Swahili maintains accountability with artisans by visiting groups in person at least once yearly. These important face-to-face sessions allow the company to confirm that payments are being received and properly allocated to individual artisans, discuss problems, implement new designs and strategies for future development, conduct training sessions with export agents, team leaders, and artisans to further streamline operations, increase production capacity and reduce errors, and emphasize Swahili's ongoing commitment to each artisan's or group's success.
Swahili is dedicated to African artisans, as their skill, determination and sharing spirit form the backbone of the company's operations. Envisioning a day when the channel between Africa and America opens wide enough to bring prosperity to all African artisans and an appreciation for African craftsmanship to the world, Swahili continues scouring Africa--from her back roads to her high rises--always on the lookout for more amazing handcrafted products.
Products By Swahili
