At African Mod, we believe that it is an honor to bring artisans' handcrafted goods to the U.S. market. Our work would not be possible without the skill of artisans and their beautiful work, often rooted in traditional art forms that have been passed down through generations.

We develop long-term relationships with artisan groups with the goal to create sources of reliable income. In many cases, artisans are able to earn a living from home, so they have options aside from leaving home to find work in cities. Crafting handmade products provides a vital employment option for rural African women in particular. Creating products from home, working between their daily home responsibilities, empowers rural women as earners.

We follow fair trade principles in our work, because we believe that fair, sustainable income creates the means for artisans to support themselves and their communities. We aim to be a reliable partner by placing consistent orders with our artisan network. This way, artisans can focus on their creative, income-producing work, removed from market fluctuations and long days selling their own goods at local markets. Many local markets were impacted by Covid and the halt of tourism as well, and that impact is still ongoing today.

On behalf of our partners across Africa and our Oregon-based staff, thank you for your support of fair trade!