Your Generosity Can Transform a Community

The past few months, our team has been able to make multiple trips to Turkana - and we are going back again next week!

It has been such a joy to spend time with our artisans and the larger community in Turkana. With our artisans, we've spent time singing, dancing, weaving together, and dreaming together. We were able to do a home visit last time we were in Turkana to artisan Elizabeth, and home visits remain some of the most special times. We also collected clothing from friends and family in Old Town and were able to deliver that to our artisans and their children in Turkana, which was met with so much excitement and gratitude. 

For the larger community, we've been able to provide large-scale food relief efforts. We have now visited three communities and provided meals for over 4,000 people - and next week we will go back to do another outreach. We are so grateful for the strides being taken in the Turkana community, and the support that makes it all possible!

Meet Sharllyne. 

Sharllyne was born in a small village in Turkana County. Life was never easy for Sharllyne, as her family couldn’t afford to send her to school and each day presented a struggle in the harsh Turkana environment. At a young age she became pregnant, and, out of necessity to support her family, she turned to selling local alcohol. The stress of this life quickly became overwhelming, and when business was slow, Sharllyne would drink the alcohol herself in an attempt to manage the emotional burden.

Life began to change for Sharllyne in 2020, when she joined Imani Collective as a basket-weaving artisan. Sharllyne reconnected with her faith and began attending church again. She stopped selling alcohol, as she now had access to dignified work, ethical wages, and a loving community to support and uplift her. She has even been able to purchase a piece of land where she plans to build her family home.

She’s paved a better way for her children, ensuring they are able to attend school and gain an education. Today, she is freed from many of the worries of her younger self and is living a fulfilling life – a testament to her strength and determination, and the way that providing an individual with a simple opportunity can transform generations.

Sharllyne's story is one of the many incredible stories of transformation from our Turkana location, and we thank you for your support that has helped make this impact possible.