handicrafts

from south-east Kenya

Hadithi Crafts produce and sell handmade crafts with a story. Explore our sisal baskets, beadwork, sewn animals and other handmade crafts that make great gifts and have long lasting impact on women and wildlife in rural Kenya.

HANDICRAFTS with a story

Hadithi means a story in Swahili. This name was chosen because for every product sold, we tell the unique story behind the people it was made by; informing you of the who, where and why of what you buy. Hadithi handicrafts are made in the Kasigau region of south-eastern Kenya, located between the Tsavo East and West National Parks.

helping women

When you buy Hadithi handicrafts, you are actively helping to provide an income for over 1900 artisans from an agricultural community. Situated in a semi-arid area, harvests often fail due to a lack of rain and consequently poverty is rife – enforcing the need for an alternative income.

helping wildlife

This area is a stunning and yet vulnerable ecosystem home to varied and abundant wildlife. Hadithi sales assist in providing a sustainable alternative to environmentally harmful practices like the poaching of wildlife and destruction of forests for charcoal, timber and farmland.

Our mission

We want to give as many people as possible in Tsavo, Kenya, a sustainable opportunity to earn their livelihood. Our mission is to lift people out of poverty and take pressure off the land and wildlife which people in Tsavo share their homes with.

Story of Gladys Malemba

Get close to the magic of basket weaving with Gladys Malemba in this short video, shot at her homestead in the Taita hills. She shows some of the secrets of twining, natural dyeing and basketweaving while she tells her story. Gladys is one of the 1200 basketweavers we work with, weaving their baskets by hand, weaving their stories from the heart.