Amani Ya Juu... Higher Peace

A few years ago I spent 3.5 months in East Africa. Mostly in Kenya (Tigoni in Limuru outside of Nairobe). While there I saw, smelled, tasted, learned, and experienced more than I could tell you in a month of Sundays.

I wanted to share one little treasure from my time there that You Can Participate In...

This is a fun (& guilty-pleasure-gratifying) way to Make A Real & Enduring Difference in the Lives Of Women in Kenya.

Amani Ya Juu is an organization that takes suffering, abused, homeless, and marginalised women and children off the streets of Kenya. The foundation teaches them skills (related to sewing and jewelry making), provides them with a trade, equips them with marketing training, and most of all... provides them with a community and a sense of value for their lives.

Here are a few of their beautiful, hand crafted jewelry items. Local seeds, wood, and even bone are used to make these priceless items. When someone says, "Love those earings..." you have a really amazing story to tell them! Conversation piece!

Another of my faves... these salad spoons are HAND CARVED out of high quality wood that holds up wonderfully.

And the cutey-cute-cute little pouch is stitched from locally dyed "kanga" (a traditional wrap skirt materials that you can find in lots of local bazaars and markets.)

Their products are high in quality and so gentle on the buget (by American standards). Not to mention, there is a sweet story of hope and restoration behind every single stitch.

All the money from their gorgeous products goes to continuing the foundation and feeding and clothing the women and their children.  This is truely one of the most beautiful, healthy, and successful versions of "helping Africa" that I have ever witnessed!

Amani Ya Juu means "Higher Peace"... or, (if my memory of swahili serves me right) a word for word translation is "Peace With You." Not only do you get a truely fabulous item when you put your dollars here, you might also get a little higher peace to go with you. =) I'd say that's worth every penny.

Please feel free to post this story or your own favorites of Amani Ya Juu products on your blogs... spread the message about this incredible opportunity.

http://www.amaniafrica.org/

(Images Via: 1. My Photography, 2."Buy a Gift" Image, 3.All Others from AmaniAfrica.Org)