Milulu grass basket

Mifuko is Swahili and means bag. With bags and baskets also began the cooperation of the Finnish designer duo Minna Impiö and Mari Martikainen with Kenyan women - so what was more natural than to also call their company so. Mifuko's range includes products that are handmade from natural and sustainable materials. The focus is on bags and baskets made from regional materials such as sisal, milulu grass, palm leaves, elephant grass or paper cords, but recycled plastic is also used. The containers are not only intended for transport purposes, but primarily as versatile storage and organization aids in the home, such as this large basket made of robust milulu grass (Eleocharis acutangula), a reed-like marsh rush species that grows in tropical wetlands. The milulu grass for this basket comes from Tanzania and is also processed there, in the village of Iringa, using traditional weaving techniques. The Milulu grass basket is stiffer than the Mifuko sisal basket. Due to its open weave, it provides excellent air circulation, which makes it ideal as a laundry basket. Just as well it can be used for storing toys, blankets, newspapers or magazines and much more. Thanks to the strong carrying straps made of leather, you can still comfortably carry the Milulu basket even when filled.
Who has woven your basket, by the way, you can see on the attached sign, there sign the women with 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.