|
 mani
ya Juu, an Africa based sewing and reconciliation project for women,
celebrated its 15 year anniversary in 2011. Amani’s 15 years have been
ones of incredible growth. What began as a group of four women sewing
placemats together in a garage has grown into an organization that boast
six sister centers and employs about 150 women crafting a product
collection that fuses African aesthetics and techniques with
functionality and style.
 |
|
Angelique
from Liberia at Amani Liberia |
From its beginning Amani has been
committed to empowering women through job skills training and fostering
a community of peace - a place where women can be encouraged and heal
through shared work and faith. Now centers in Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi,
Liberia, Uganda, and Washington, D.C. bring these principles to life in
their own unique ways. The sales of products at each location, as well
as throughout the United States, have sustained growth.
“Amani is… a place where women can
belong and feel safe,” said Amani’s founder and Executive Director,
Becky Chinchen. “I remember one lady telling me in the early years,
‘When I come to Amani, I don’t feel like I am going to work; I feel like
I am coming home.’ Women are still saying that today. When God’s peace
transforms your life, it becomes contagious. You can’t help but pass it
on to others.”
Amani has been a trendsetter in
holistic and sustainable development. The organization is
self-sustaining from the sale of the products made by the women at the
different Africa centers. Holistic development is fostered by meeting
the physical, spiritual, emotional
 |
|
Lucy from
Sudan at Amani Kenya |
and social needs of those who
participate. Not only do women find dignity in work and skill-building,
they are also encouraged by working alongside women who share their
struggles and their thirst for peace.
Just as the four original members
did 15 years ago, women continue to arrive at Amani ravaged by poverty,
marginalization, and war. Yet they find true healing and reconciliation.
New sisters bring different gifts that keep Amani fresh and extend its
impact to new communities. They are each part of building peace and
working for restoration. This is the wonder of Amani: people who were
once so full of despair would become messengers of hope.
Support Amani’s work by buying
beautiful handmade bags, accessories, home décor, and children’s
products. Learn more about Amani ya Juu and shop online at
amaniafrica.org. |
EDGE
Magazine Celebrates Start of Third Year by Sponsoring
Designer Irina Shabayeva at Lincoln Center Event
ho said the
magazine business is dying? Among a handful of thriving
regional publications is New Jersey-based EDGE Magazine,
which started turning heads when it burst onto the scene
in 2009—and made a major statement in the fashion world
tonight as the presenting sponsor of Irina Shabayeva’s
Fall Collection at Lincoln Center in New York.
