Artisans

Sabahar

Sabahar is a Fairtrade organisation in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. The organisation’s aim is to offer underprivileged women and men a sustainable income. At present Sabahar employs one hundred and twenty people.

Sabahar provides trainings so the artisans can further develop their skills. They are given a permanent contract, a fair salary and work around thirty seven hours per week in a safe and healthy work environment.

Besides a salary the artisans are receiving yearly bonuses and follow courses on saving. Sabahar further provides its employees with maternity leave arrangements, paid vacation, pension and health insurance.

Some of the women work at Sabahar’s workshop to spin cotton and silk. Most women however work from their homes on their own schedule, so they have the flexibility to take care of their children.

The women and men of Sabahar

Besides growing its own cotton and rearing eri silk, Sabahar also purchases cotton and silk from local farmers. The farmers receive a fair price for their products.

Through this particular way of supporting the artisans and farmers Sabahar tries to break the poverty cycle. The artisans are now able to send all their children to school improving their chances for a better future.

The artisans at Sabahar make beautiful scarves from locally sourced eri silk and cotton. By combining traditional weaving techniques with modern designs they create an extraordinary collection high quality scarves.

The scarves from Ethiopian eri silk are dyed with natural dyes. The artisans are always trying to develop new tints and shades. They create their dyes from – amongst others – coffee, mescal flowers, cochineal and onion peels.

View the cotton and silk scarves from Sabahar.

Weaving on a traditional loom

Finishing of the scarves

[Credits: Sabahar]