Fall/Winter: 2013
Sasa Designs by the Deaf:
Nancy, Deaf Artisan
building on the power of
Now. This is not a sad story. This is about what we can do right now to change the future. “Sasa” means now in Kiswahili. In each of our designs we seek to harness the ‘power of now’ for our Deaf artisans and the future she is working to create. We hope that in wearing Sasa Designs by the Deaf pieces you are reminded how precious each moment is, and all that it can hold. Sasa Designs by the Deaf provides training and employment for Deaf women who have faced a lifetime of discrimination. For the first time in their lives, they are recognized for their potential, and not for their inability to communicate with the world at large. You’ll find a wrap named after each of our artisans in this collection — a bracelet that she helped create in order to tell her story. The women of Sasa Designs by the Deaf have started a new chapter in their lives, a chapter in which they use each moment to build a better life: for themselves, for their children, and for their extended family and community. With their support we are building a social enterprise based on the power of now – and we are thankful to our growing global family for making it possible. Asante sana for embracing our work, for recognizing that we must act now to extend access to opportunity and honor women throughout the world for all they can be. Now is her time. Now is our time. Now is the time.
“The artist is nothing without the gift, but the gift is nothing without work.” — Emile Zola
Cover Photo: Geometrics Necklace
From left to right Susan Wrap Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Gold Everlyne Wrap Nancy Wrap
FROM TOP Winterberry 4x Wrap Vivacious 1x Wrap Linden 1x Wrap Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Gold Peninah Wrap
Geometrics Earrings
Model: Helena M端tze
Kumihimo Chains Necklace & Earrings - Flamingo
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Sun Earrings
Virginia Wrap Geometrics Earrings Seeds of Change Necklace
Regina Wrap Leather Toggle Bracelet
Geometrics Earrings Regina Wrap Model: Marcel Temba
Winterberry 4x Wrap Lucy Wrap (as choker) Lace Earring (as pendant) in Turquoise Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Turquoise Snowflake Earring in Turquoise
Model: Lilly Flint
FROM LEFT Merina Wrap Vivacious 1x Wrap Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Gold Sapphire 1x Wrap Emerald 1x Wrap Koi 1x Wrap Linden 1x Wrap Mykonos 1x Wrap
“As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others.” — Audrey Hepburn
FROM TOP Mykonos 1x Wrap Merina Wrap Emerald 1x Wrap Linden 1x Wrap Sapphire 1x Wrap
Model: Patience Munyikwa
Chevron Necklace in Vivacious Cascade Earrings
FROM LEFT Virginia Wrap Dorothy Wrap Regina Wrap
Infinity Necklace
Braids of Hope Necklace - Turquoise Kenyan Lace Bracelet and Earrings - Turquoise Leather Toggle Bracelet
Flower and Horn Earring - Dark Infinity Necklace - Black Susan Wrap
“There is no passion to be found in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.” — Nelson Mandela
Infinity Necklace - Black Susan Wrap
Geometrics Necklace Lace Earrings in Gold
Geometrics Necklace Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Gold Koi 1x Wrap Turquoise 1x Wrap
FROM TOP Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Turquoise Regina Wrap Dorothy Wrap Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Slate Virginia Wrap
Lace and Bone Earrings Infinity Necklace - Black Seeds of Change Necklace Ann Wrap Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Slate
Slate 1x Wrap Desert 1x Wrap
Lace and Bone Earrings
FROM LEFT Ann wrap Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Slate Linden 1x Wrap Sasa Wrap Flora Wrap
Braids of Hope in Olive
Everlyne Wrap Dorothy Wrap
Flora Wrap
Sasa Wrap Dorothy Wrap Braids of Hope in Olive Snowflake Earring in Turquoise
From top left clockwise Nancy Wrap Braids of Hope in Olive Flower and Horn Earring - light Lace Hoop Earring
Cascade Earring
Snowflake Earring in Winterberry Braids of Hope in Winterberry Lucy Wrap
Seeds of Change Necklace Gold 1x Wrap
WRAPS FROM LEFT: Gold 1x Wrap Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Slate Almond 1x Wrap Pebble 1x Wrap Kenyan Lace Bracelet in Gold Slate 1x Wrap
Lace Earrings in Gold
Chevron Necklace - Slate Snowflake Earrings in Slate Sasa Wrap
“We have to choose joy and keep choosing it.” — Henri J.M. Nouwen
ABOUT SASA DESIGNS BY THE DEAF: The world appears smaller and smaller as globalization, travel and business blur the lines between countries and continents. Regardless of whether buildings are getting taller and Internet is getting faster, in the developing world the wheels of progress remain in the hands of women. From Kenya’s slums to the rural shamba (farm), women continue to do the backbreaking work to pull vitality from the earth for the sake of their children. Mothers carry cooking wood for miles, jugs of water upon their heads and sit over stewing pots of porridge to prepare healthy food before their children go to school. Dotted throughout the country are a unique group of women doing all these things in a veil of silence. Resilient after years of being labeled as “dumb” or “slow” they face significant discrimination from the community at large (and often their own families). The lucky ones may have attended special Deaf schools where they learned Kenyan Sign Language and skills for survival, but their job prospects remain bleak. In Kenya, 85% of Deaf people are jobless. Sasa Designs is committed to changing this reality by providing skills training and jobs to Deaf women throughout the country. In our first year of production we trained 12 artisans to produce our first collections. Many of these women are already dreaming of starting their own jewelry businesses to take advantage of Kenya’s growing local market. As we mature we hope to empower women in slums throughout the nation to produce pieces for our line as well as their own small businesses. Thank you for being a part of Sasa Design’s beginnings and the journey we are embarking on to change the future for Deaf women in Kenya, and someday, beyond.
Flora, Deaf Artisan
Virginia struggled throughout high school due to a lack of finances and support, and was not optimistic about finding work. Now that she’s joined Sasa, she is thankful that she can support her children.
Everlyne, as one of our youngest artisans, has experienced a great deal of trauma in recent years. Working hard to raise a young child, we are blessed to see her smiling more and more each day.
Dorothy,
having been ostracized throughout her life due to her deafness, is now proud of who she is and her ability to work and take care of herself. She loves reading and visiting friends on the weekends.
Susan’s only work experience before joining Sasa had been collecting trash for recycling. When she looks to the future she hopes her son will get a good job as a professional or a doctor.
Lucy is fast becoming one of Sasa Design’s most valued artisans. Having previously worked at a clothing factory that operated in the middle of the night, Lucy is thankful for the positive work environment she now enjoys at Sasa Designs.
Flora is Sasa Design’s most dedicated artisan. Flora is a single mom who embodies the mission of Sasa Designs. Flora says, “I am proud because I am an employed person, so am able to take care of my kids and provide their needs.”
Nancy is Sasa Design’s lead artisan and is responsible for training all new artisans and overseeing production. A brilliant communicator, she prays her daughter Grace will grow up to accept her and her husband as deaf parents.
Merina is a single mom who joined Sasa Designs in early 2013. Though her son currently lives with Merina’s family in the rural areas, she is saving her earnings to bring him to the city and enroll him in a better school.
Peninah is our Assistant Lead
Regina has a bright personality and is one of our fastest and most skilled workers. Growing up she feared she would always be dependent on her family – but now she is able to take care of herself and her children.
Megan has been managing Sasa Designs since shortly after it began. A veteran of the Fair Trade arena, she has lived and worked in Kenya since 2008 and is committed to empowering women through market access and design.
Ann, after a lifetime being rejected by family members, is now a proud mother and artisan. She says of her family, “Now they are aware that being a Deaf person does not make someone useless.”
Artisan. An incredibly skilled artisan, she dreams of starting her own business to employ other Deaf artisans someday. Peninah loves to swim and visit family and friends up country when she is able to.
FA L L / W I N T E R
2 013 C ATA LO G A L L P I EC E S AVA I L A B L E FOR RETAIL ORDERS STARTING AUGUST 2013, A N D WH O L E S A L E O R D ERS STARTING JULY 2013. nancy wrap
#B01FW13 Cost: $45
sasa wrap
#B02FW13 Cost: $40
Susan Wrap
#B06FW13 Cost: $45
FLORA Wrap
ann Wrap
#B03FW13 Cost: $45
#B04FW13 Cost: $40
dOROTHY WRAP
ALMOND 1x wrap
#B07FW13 Cost: $45
#B14FW13 Cost: $16
eVERLYNE Wrap
#B05FW13 Cost: $45
gold 1x wrap
#B15FW13 Cost: $16
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 013 C ATA LO G
DESERT 1x wrap
#B16FW13 Cost: $16
peninah wrap
#B10FW13 Cost: $40
LUCY Wrap
#B08FW13 Cost: $40
Pebble 1x wrap
slate 1x wrap
#B30FW13 Cost: $16
#B17FW13 Cost: $16
virginia Wrap
Regina wrap
#B11FW13 Cost: $45
emerald 1x wrap
#B18FW13 Cost: $16
#B12FW13 Cost: $40
mykonos 1x wrap
#B19FW13 Cost: $16
MERINA Wrap
#B09FW13 Cost: $40
winterberry Wrap
#B13FW13 Cost: $45
linden 1x wrap
#B20FW13 Cost: $16
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 013 C ATA LO G
Winterberry 1x Wrap
#B21FW13 Cost: $16
vivacious 1x wrap
#B22FW13 Cost: $16
leather toggle bracelet
#B29FW13 Cost: $14
turquoise 1x wrap
#B23FW13 Cost: $16
Kenyan lace bracelet Slate
#B26FW13 Cost: $24
lace hoop Earrings
#E04FW13 Cost: $14
sapphire 1x wrap
#B24FW13 Cost: $16
Kenyan lace bracelet gold
#B27FW13 Cost: $24
flower and horn earrings-dark
#E05FW13 Cost: $14
koi 1x wrap
#B25FW13 Cost: $16
Kenyan lace bracelet turquoise
#B28FW13 Cost: $24
flower and horn earrings-light
#E06FW13 Cost: $14
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 013 C ATA LO G
snowflake earrings SLATE
snowflake earrings winterberry
snowflake earrings turquoise
#E02FW13 Cost: $14
#E03FW13 Cost: $14
geometric earrings
lace and bone earrings
Kenyan lace earrings-gold
#E10FW13 Cost: $14
Kenyan lace earrings-SLATE
Kenyan lace earrings-turquoise
#E07FW13 Cost: $14
cascade earrings
chevron vivacious necklace
#E01FW13 Cost: $14
#E09FW13 Cost: $14
#N01FW13 Cost: $25
#E11FW13 Cost: $14
chevron slate necklace
# N02FW13 Cost: $25
#E08FW13 Cost: $14
#E12FW13 Cost: $14
infinity necklace - black
#N03FW13 Cost: $25
FA L L / W I N T E R 2 013 C ATA LO G
braids of hope necklace olive
#N05FW13 Cost: $40
braids of hope necklace winterberry
#N06FW13 Cost: $40
seeds of change necklace
#N04FW13 Cost: $30
braids of hope necklace turquoise
geometrics necklace
#N08FW13 Cost: $28
#N07FW13 Cost: $40
(919) 521-5225
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info@sasadesignsbythedeaf.com
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www.sasadesignsbythedeaf.com
Our gratitude to models Lilly Flint, Marcel Temba, Patience Munyikwa, Helena M端tze for being the faces of Sasa Designs this season
Art direction: Megan MacDonald
Photography and layout: Christena Dowsett Photography assistant: MaryAnne Mumbi Wardrobe Assistance: Diana Akelo of Jadia Creations
Jewelry Design: Megan MacDonald and Emmanuel Semat of Emmasmart Creations
Shot on location at Tribe Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. Our thanks to Shamim Ehsani and Michael & Lilly Flint for their assistance.