The Power of Purposeful Shopping

Bringing home a meaningful piece from your travels is a wonderful way to remember the people, places, and moments that made your journey special. Across Africa, a growing number of social enterprises are creating beautiful, purpose-driven products that directly support local communities and conservation efforts. These initiatives often begin with a simple idea to address a pressing social or environmental challenge, and grow through their transparent, heartfelt commitment to making a positive impact. By choosing to support these organisations, you’re not only acquiring a unique and authentic item, but also helping to create sustainable livelihoods and long-term benefits that ripple throughout the community.

Ocean Sole
Nairobi, Kenya

www.oceansole.com

Ocean Sole operates a unique and highly successful social enterprise transforming discarded flip-flops into vibrant sculptures.
Each year, the team salvage up to 1 million flip-flops from beaches across Kenya and turn them into colourful handmade sculptures, diverting over 46,000kg of waste from oceans. This initiative provides steady employment to nearly 100 artisans and saves over 500 trees annually by creating sculptures using flip-flops in place of wood. Through these efforts, Ocean Sole contributes 10–15% of revenue to beach clean-ups, education, and conservation programs whilst creating these unique and rather joyous sculptures – perhaps one of the most colourful shops in Nairobi!

Below is the weight of flip-flops needed to produce the various sizes of sculpture:
XXL: 4,015lbs | XL: 2,409lbs | Large: 949lbs | Medium: 292lbs | Small: 183lbs

Mulberry Mongoose
South Luangwa National Park, Zambia

www.mulberrymongoose.com

Mulberry Mongoose is an inspiring story of making something beautiful from something brutal. The skilled team transform poachers’ snare wire into handcrafted jewellery. Each year, the team collects and repurposes thousands of feet of snare wire, effectively removing it from circulation and preventing harm to wildlife. This initiative provides employment to local artisans, with over 80% of the team being women. Since its inception in 2013, Mulberry Mongoose has raised over $157,700 for conservation efforts in Zambia.

Visit the workshop whilst on safari in the South Luangwa, staying at one of the many wonderful camps that line the hippo filled Luangwa River.

Mwani Zanzibar
Paje, Zanzibar

www.mwanizanzibar.com

Mwani Zanzibar is a women-led social enterprise in Paje, Zanzibar, empowering local communities through sustainable seaweed farming. The “Mwani Mamas” harvest seaweed in harmony with lunar cycles, transforming it into premium skincare products. This initiative provides fair wages, training, and employment to over 80% women artisans, fostering economic independence and environmental stewardship and breaking barriers and shifting generational attitudes towards women’s participation in Zanzibar’s workforce. Their shop in Paje on the East Coast of Zanzibar is filled with their soaps, moisturisers and cleansers to buy and take home.

Shanga Glass
Arusha, Tanzania

www.shanga.org

Shanga Glass is a pioneering social enterprise in Arusha, Tanzania, employing people with disabilities to create unique and high-quality handmade jewellery, glassware and homewares that incorporate recycled materials. These products are sold in the Shanga shop in Arusha with profits being reinvested back into developing opportunities to employ and support more people with disabilities.

As well as providing employment opportunities to those that need it, Shanga also aims to remove the stigma that people with disabilities often face in East Africa. By providing a safe and supportive environment, as well as employment opportunities, Shanga is providing an opportunity for those that have previously been marginalized by society a chance to contribute to their families and community.

Visit the studio and have a tour of the workshop to see the incredible glass blowing, beading, sewing and weaving skills the team have. We have always loved the quote found at their entrance:

“Kindness is a language blind people see and deaf people hear” – Mark Twain

Visit Bwindi Bar
Buhoma, Uganda

Bwindi Bar

The Bwindi Bar is a an enterprise founded by our partners Volcanoes Safaris in Uganda. Located near one the their lodges, Bwindi Lodge, on t he edge of the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, the bar provides a practical training institution for local disadvantaged youths living near the Bwindi National Park in Buhoma.By providing the opportunity for young people to learn new skills that can be used in the hospitality world, trainee receive internships in nearby lodges after their 3 month training and guests get to enjoy the tastes of their success. Try their signature Gorillini’ cocktail before or after spending time with the Mountain Gorilla of Uganda.