Indego Africa: Beautiful Artisan Home and Fashion Accessories

This week at Living Luxe for Less I am featuring different companies and products that are not only luxe for less, but that also benefit a good cause.

One of my favorite ways to shop for myself, while also helping others at the same time is to shop Fair Trade.

Fair Trade stands for the relationship between the seller and the consumer, and it is a system that ensures that sellers receive adequate pay for their work, and guarentees humane working conditions.

Today I will be featuring one of my favorite Fair Trade companies: Indego Africa

Indego Africa is a non-profit organization which according to their website is "built on core values of transparency and good governance – that attacks systemic poverty by delivering access to export markets and job skills to African women."  There are five key principles to  Indego Africa’s business model:

1. Partner with cooperatives of female artisans from Rwanda.
2. Sell these cooperatives' products at both high end retailers and online.
3. Pay a fair wage, including 50% in advance.
   
4. Return 100% of the profits to Indego Africa's ground-breaking educational training programs.
5. Partner with Generation Rwanda, a program that provides university scholarships to Rwanda's top students.  These students teach classes on economic independence and sustainability to Indego Africa's artisans.

Still curious about how this program works and who it helps?  Here is a video from the Indego Africa website featuring one of their artisans speaking about her experience in the Rwandan genocide, and how Indego Africa has helped her and her family...

Want to support Indego Africa and their goal to create economic sustaniabilty for women and their families in Rwanda?  It's as easy as buying a few of their beautiful artisan products!  Here are a few of my favorites from the Indego Africa website...

Indego Africa Agaseke Basket, $40

Each one of these fair trade Agaseke baskets takes up to five days to complete and is hand-woven using needles and sisal threads by women in the Covanya cooperative in Rwanda. A traditional African wedding gift, and today a symbol of peace which represents the reconciliation of Rwanda following its 1994 genocide.  

Indego Africa Plateau Basket, $44

The Indego Africa Plateau Baskets are crafted with needles and imigwegwe plant threads by the women of Covanya cooperative in Rwanda.  It takes great skill to make these beautiful baskets, and up to seven days to weave. 

Indego Africa Large Woven Platter, $75

These striking baskets require great craftsman expertise, and are made with needles and imigwegwe plant threads by the women of Covanya cooperative  in Rwanda.

Indego Africa Woven Banana Box, $110

These beautiful boxes are hand woven with banana leaves from the women of the Twiyubake Family in Kayonza, Rwanda.

Indego Africa Wine Bag, $8

These Wine Bottle Bags come in a variety of fabrics and are  hand-sewn by the women at Cocoki cooperative  in Rwanda and are made with Dutch wax cloth.

Indego Africa Wine Coasters, $15

These colorful wine coasters come in packs of four, tied with a banana leaf, and are a great way to brighten up your table or cocktail party.  These coasters are also made by Dutch wax cloth, and are hand sewn by the women in the Cocoki cooperative in Rwanda.
 

And you can also buy Indego Africa products at a variety of retailers.  This fall Anthropologie has partnered with Indego Africa and is selling this beautiful scarf hand sewn by the Ingenzi Knit Union cooperative in Rwanda.

A Thousand Hills Cowl, $48
 

Will any of these Indego Africa products be coming home with you soon? 

What a great way to treat yourself or someone you love!

If you want to learn more about Indego Africa and the community you will be supporting when you make a purchase, I will leave you with one more video from their website about this social enterprise and the communties which they help support....