Basket sisal

Mifuko is Swahili and means bag. The cooperation of the Finnish designer duo Minna Impiö and Mari Martikainen with Kenyan women also began with bags and baskets - so it was only natural to name the company after them. The focus of Mifuko's assortment is on products that are handmade from natural and sustainable materials from the region. The bags and baskets are made mainly from sisal, but also from milulu grass, palm leaves, elephant grass or paper cords. Among other things, the containers serve as versatile storage aids in the home: like these baskets, which stand out as handsome keepers of order. Woven from sisal, they are light, flexible and yet so stable that they can accommodate a wide variety of utensils on the shelf in the bathroom or kitchen, on the couch or in the children's room. Whether towels or knitting, whether the supply of kitchen rolls, whether cotton swabs or lipstick, toy cars or cosmetics sample bottles: According to their respective sizes, the baskets accommodate everything long-suffering and keep it sorted and ready to hand in the place of your choice.

By the way, you can tell who wove your basket by the attached sign, where the women sign their names.

The designs of the Finnish label Mifuko are not only characterized by Kenyan tradition and craftsmanship, but the products are also manufactured in Kenya. The cooperation with Kenyan craftswomen came into being in 2009 as a result of the two Mifuko designers' long-standing ties with Kenya. In the meantime, Mifuko works with about 400 women, not only more in Kenya, but also in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Ghana. They live mainly in rural areas and work there primarily in agriculture. In the dry season they weave carpets, weave baskets or bags, make jewelry and many other decorative items. Fair payment and long-term business relationships are the main focus, as well as the design of the products taking into account the skills and traditional manufacturing techniques. The women are given the opportunity to expand their knowledge and pass it on to younger women. They can build up their own network and are finally in a position to earn something extra for their livelihood, because first and foremost the women and their families work in agriculture. Only when their own fields are cultivated and the animals are taken care of do they manufacture for Mifuko, thus generating additional income that often saves them through the drought.

Minna Impiö and Mari Martikainen have had Mifuko certified as a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), which implies the permanent implementation and control of fair trade and fair remuneration as well as the consideration of ecological compatibility and work safety in the production of the products. In addition, they finance projects that improve the lives of the workers and their families, such as the construction of sanitary facilities.

This product is an example of genuine handicraft; therefore, minor deviations in size and colour may occur.