One of Shining Hope for Communities’ goals is to discover new markets in which to sell products made by SHOFCO Women’s Empowerment Program (SWEP). SWEP is a co-operative that supports HIV positive women living in Kibera, providing them with a living wage and entrepreneurship training. The ladies of SWEP make bags out of Kenyan fabric, called kanga, as well as beaded bracelets and other jewelry. SWEP is also a safe space for the women; they hold weekly support meetings to discuss the issues of life with HIV/AIDS, including widowhood and societal stigma.
SWEP was lucky this week to be one of the vendors at Know Kenya More (KKM), a weeklong fundraising event put on by the Kenya Museum Society to support the National Museums of Kenya. Through a diverse collection of expert speakers, films, and outings, KKM gives individuals the chance to learn more about aspects of life in Kenya. KKM also features vendors from the Nairobi area throughout the week and gives them the opportunity to sell their products.
SWEP featured its crafts at KKM this week and gained much desired exposure. Two members of SWEP who worked at the table, Rose and Joan, were able to gain experience in marketing and took a lot of notes about how to both improve and expand SWEP’s products. It was a successful and fun venture and we thank KKM for this opportunity!
Rose and Joan, and some of the paper bead jewelry SWEP has made
Xiaoxi, Shining Hope's Manager of Strategic Partnerships, along with Rose, Joan, and Jessica, a Shining Hope fellow