Bicycle basket Chinese reed

From lightweight Chinese reed, also known as elephant grass, this bicycle basket is woven. It is attached to the handlebar by means of leather straps and brass roller clasps, so it fits almost any bike. If you remove it, it can be used, for example, as a shopping basket and then carried comfortably by the handle. The bottom and sides of the bike basket are tightly woven so that nothing can fall through. Originally native to East Asia, the Chinese reed processed here comes from Ghana, where the basket is also woven purely by hand by Ghanaian craftswomen. The natural material is durable and flexible, yet not immune to persistent moisture and humidity. By the way, who has woven your bike basket, you can see on the attached sign, which the women sign with their name.

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 the Kenyan craftswomen came about in 2009 as a result of the two Mifuko designers' long-standing ties with Kenya. Mifuko now works with around 400 women, not only in Kenya, but also in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Ghana. They live mainly in rural areas and work primarily in agriculture. In the dry season, they weave carpets, weave baskets or bags, make jewelry and many other decorative items. Fair pay and long-term business relationships are just as important as the skills and traditional manufacturing techniques are taken into account when designing the products. This gives the women the opportunity to expand their knowledge and pass it on to younger women. They can build up their own network and are ultimately able to earn an additional income, as the women and their families primarily work in agriculture. Only when their own fields have been cultivated and the animals cared for do they produce for Mifuko, thus earning an additional income that often saves them during the drought.

Minna Impiö and Mari Martikainen have had Mifuko certified as a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). On the one hand, this implies the permanent implementation and monitoring of fair trade and fair pay, and on the other hand, care is taken to ensure that the natural habitat is affected as little as possible during the manufacture of the products and that occupational safety is guaranteed. In addition, Impiö and Martikainen finance projects that improve the lives of workers and their families, such as the construction of sanitary facilities.