“Being able to give back to the community by providing jobs and a sense of financial independence for these women is so rewarding.”
– Kahindo Mateene
We are committed to sustainable, ethical practices that are safe for the environment and empower women and their communities. In partnership with GIVE WORK, our collection is produced by women in Goma in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the hometown of our founder and designer, Kahindo Mateene. Fabrics from our collection are made in collaboration withRefuShe, an organization that empowers separated refugee girls, young women, and their children—the most vulnerable refugee community in Kenya—to heal, thrive, and become leaders in their communities.
These young women—who range in age from 13 to 23 and come from Somalia, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Sudan, Rwanda, and Burundi—have experienced the detrimental effects of war, the loss of their families and, in many cases, kidnapping, rape, trafficking, unlawful detainment, and torture.
RefuShe offers these girls and young women the potential to become catalysts for powerful and sustainable change within their local and global communities. The organization’s holistic aid model provides both the short and long-term assistance needed to live healthy, empowered lives, including shelter, psychosocial counselling, case management, specialized education, vocational training, the opportunity to join a social enterprise, advocacy and legal support, and community outreach programs. “With a regular income, these women are able to own their own homes and create and maintain a stable life for their families,” says Mateene, who has partnered with RefuShe since 2019.
