What makes Sasa Designs by the Deaf different?

Posted: April 29, 2013 by meganmacdonald   -   No Comments

A part of the Emmasmart Collections team preparing brass pieces for local artisan groups.

The good news is…we’ve been so busy we haven’t had time to blog! Our Spring/Summer 2013 collection has hit the mail and our new stockists will be on the website and offering these pieces very soon! We are also in the process of building our retail stock for individual supporters of Sasa Designs by the Deaf – keep an eye out for your favorite piece IN STOCK on the website soon!

While we’ve been busy fulfilling orders and continuing to train our artisans, we have also been working hard to identify groups to support moving forward. One of our major missions as a social business is to empower other groups and support the local Kenyan economy with our production. As such, in each of our collections we seek to source from projects who are working to train and empower those in need – just like we are. By purchasing beads, brass pieces and other creative components from these groups, we give our Deaf artisans the opportunity to give back – which helps them to understand their potential not just as beneficiaries of positive work opportunities – but as  providers at the same time.

Our first partnership is featured in the Grace Pendant – available through Summer at our website and via select stockists. This piece was made by Heart of the Bride – a global orphan ministry that has a project in Naivasha, Kenya that employs women infected with Aids to ensure they have the income needed to take care of their own health and that of their families. The project creates exceptional ceramic pieces, and we hope to partner with them in future collections to continue supporting their excellent work.

Right now, we are creating our Fall/Winter collection (available starting in September) utilizing bone, brass, horn and wood pieces made by Emmasmart Collections – a project started by a young man named Emmanuel who has trained with some of the leading metal smiths in Kenya. Emmanuel is committed to providing positive work opportunities for young men from the slums who lack opportunity. Without the training provided by Emmanuel, they would likely take to the streets and be vulnerable to joining gangs or getting involved with illegal activities in order to make money.  There simply aren’t enough jobs for Kenyan youth – but Emmanuel is working to change this. Sasa Designs is thrilled to source unique beads from his project that our team of Deaf artisans can expertly put together for a stunning collection debuting later this year. This is what makes Sasa Designs by the Deaf different – we are taking our work into the community and beyond!