empowering artisans beautifying your life
Mukesha (gukesha) means to beautify or to brighten and that is the ethos behind our mision: to empower artisans while beautifying your life through high-quality, hand-crafted goods.
We collaborate directly with talented women in Rwanda, Burkina Faso and other parts of Africa to bring you high-quality, hand-crafted items to make your life just a little bit more enjoyable.
We value and support our expert artisans. Every single sale goes towards helping them support their trade, their family, and ultimately – their community.
Women of Cooperative DUKUNDANE, Kigali: skillfully crocheted for you the beads jewelry.
In their own words…
"We are grateful for the partnership with Mukesha. It makes us self-sufficient and contributes to our economic independence."
— Therese, the chairperson
"Since working with Mukesha every woman can afford clothes, feed the children. As long as we have orders, we can support our families".
— Saverine, member
Why I do this
My name is Christina, I was born in Rwanda and immigrated to the US over 25 years ago – with four dependents and only clothes on our backs. Today I’m proud to be in a place where I’m able to give back and to empower those who need it the most.
The Mukesha Collective was founded after I revisited Rwanda (and later spent 8 months in Burkina Faso) with newfound eyes. I was in awe of the beauty, talent, and dedication of the craftspeople in Africa. Despite their talents some of them could not meet basic financial needs like feeding their family or paying school fees for their children.
Inspired by the artistry and moved by their circumstances I set out to create a brand that celebrates the beauty of African artistry and culture while uplifting the communities that create it.
Mukesha Collective creates jobs and opportunities for these artists, improves their families’ living conditions, and positively impacts their communities.
Each purchase supports a small business. From me and my family to the unbelievably talented craftspeople – your purchase is helping to improve the world.
I hope that these products brighten your life and remind you of us Mukesha – changing the world through art.
