Artisans & Fair Trade
Handwoven Baskets from Uganda
Maadili Collective works directly with two cooperatives of women in Central and Western Uganda. With a mission to help vulnerable women by providing opportunities for income, our weaving partners sell crafts both locally and internationally. In addition to earning a fair income, women are also provided with opportunities to be educated about personal health, family planning, hygiene and HIV/AIDS education for the betterment of their families.
Our lives have been forever changed by working with these talented weavers. We are driven to tell their stories and sell their beautiful crafts.
Our lives have been forever changed by working with these talented weavers. We are driven to tell their stories and sell their beautiful crafts.
Meet the Weavers
Rosemary
Weaving baskets has helped me pay for my children to have books and go to school and it provides an opportunity I wouldn't normally have in the village. I enjoy working as a group and along side the other women weaving baskets together. We offer help to each other and have built trusting relationships. I admire our cooperative leader the most because of the good work she is doing. She provides training and always helps and supports us to find more markets for our products.
Grace
Weaving is what I am today.Weaving helped me to find a home - without weaving I would have little opportunity for income in our village. When I weave I am able to buy clothes and food for my child, as well as pay for school fees. I love my child so much because she is the most important thing I have in this world and my wish is for her to study hard so she is successful in school.
Gorret
I have been weaving baskets for 6 years and it is this group which has made me what I am. The women in this group support each other - we share materials and dyes, when I don't have a color, I will take my raffia to another member and they will dye for me and when I have the color I will help others to dye. In this group, I have women who are like sisters to me, we help and support each other.
Cossy
I have been weaving baskets for 9 years. I want to learn everything I can about weaving - any training I can have is highly welcome! I enjoy a lot about weaving - designing and earning money for the good work I have done. The money from the weaving helps to support my children, helps to buy clothes, and pays some school fees. My 5 boys are very intelligent! I hope that one day they finish school and become very respected people in the community.
Agines
My mother taught me how to weave baskets and I have been weaving now for 4 years. Before weaving baskets and joining this cooperative, I never used to earn a living but now I am earning money to pay school fees for my children. The women in the group bring me hope by comforting me when I have a problem and they promise me that if we keep weaving, everything will be okay. I look at these women as my sisters.
Olive
I have been weaving baskets for 6 years. I enjoy weaving and working with the other women in the group. We encourage each other - I used to be hopeless about the future but the women encourage me to work hard to weave more baskets to earn money. I would like to continue to train and learn more about quality control and how to create more dyes and unique colors. 
Handcrafted Horn Products
Our horn artisans purchase horns directly from the cattle keepers, providing revenue for local cattle keeping communities in rural Uganda. The small scale cooperative produces a wide range of high quality, contemporary home decor and jewelry pieces. Cow horns are environmentally and sustainably sourced to recycle a byproduct from the food industry and prevent it from ending up in landfill. Nothing goes to waste.
Ankole-Watusi Cattle
The Ankole-Watusi, also known as Ankole Longhorn, is a breed of cattle native to Uganda’s western region. Its large distinctive horns can reach up to 8 ft from tip to tip.Horns are repurposed to make jewelry and home accessories that are beautiful and unique.
The beauty of horn is displayed in the variations of color and tone - ranging from creamy white to caramel to black.
Like everything in nature, no two finished pieces are exactly the same.