UDONGO: Ethically woven storage baskets

These ethically produced storage baskets are hand woven in Tanzania from local milulu grass by a skilled weaver belonging to a cooperative of 580 members in Tanzania. The reeds used to produce these woven storage baskets are often found in swamps and riverbeds, but also grown specifically for basket weaving. Its leaves are cut, split, dyed using natural dyes and dried before weaving begins.
 
Weaving income enables women to better support their families: buying uniform, paying school fees and paying family medical bills. Some weavers also use earnings to make home improvements and invest in their other businesses: purchasing livestock and poultry, since most weavers are primarily farmers who need a second income when the dry seasons come.
 
Profits from basket sales are also reinvested for the benefit of the weavers’ communities - amenities like solar lighting and new land, kerosene lamps, warehousing and raw materials for basket making. The cooperative committee leaders also organise frequent product development training and healthcare education.