Natural Woven Makenge Storage Basket - Handmade and Fair Trade

Handcrafted by Congolese refugee weavers, this beautiful and unique, natural fair trade woven basket is made from dried Makenge root with woven copper detailing. Use it to store small items, displaying a favourite house plant, or adding a touch of artisanal decor to your home.

Basket weaving in East Africa is a skill passed down from mothers to daughters and holds great cultural significance, with pieces having not only practical use but also having deep symbolic meaning. Baskets are carefully crafted and given as gifts on special occasions. Each piece takes up to 2 weeks to make, using coiling, plaiting and braiding techniques, with the poignant stories of their maker woven into each basket. This fair trade storage basket is perfect for initiating the conversation about people forcibly displaced by war, violence, disaster and persecution and supporting building a better future for refugees. 

MADE51 is an initiative brought to life by the UNHRC, the UN Refugee Agency, providing refugees the opportunity to use their craftsmanship to regain economic independence. This small woven fruit bowl is crafted by Congolese refugees living in Zambia.