The past year was one of huge personal changes as a family, as one child left home to join University. We did give him wings strong enough to fly off from the safety of his home. Mixed feelings of pride (we did raise him strong!!l). And sadness (he will need us less and less!) as he learns to independently
thrive in his next phase of life.
Upskilling the artisans for growth
It is the same feeling with our extended families too- with the artisans and karigars who work with EkiBeki. Giving them the skills to use their generations old knowledge to create contemporary designs, more relevant in our modern lives.
For instance, the basket weavers used their traditional golden grass weaving skills to create something they never had before- jewelry! Love those behind-the-scenes and photos of their initial shyness as we got them to "model" for us, another first for them!
At Ekibeki, we try to equip them with new skills and design ideas, upskilling them by building on their values and confidence to thrive on their own.
A step forward on the journey
We take this opportunity to thank you for being a supporter of the work we do. With a purchase or when you invite us to a bazaar. Or even when you recommend EkiBeki to your friends, you are supporting an artisan family, and preventing an extinction of the handmade skills in our machine made world today.
So, here's to all of us. Lets reach for new heights together in 2024!
