bawa hope

In Swahili, "bawa" means wing. For the artisans working with Bawa Hope in Nairobi, Kenya, that wing offers something more: the lift to escape cycles of poverty that have defined their lives.  Founded in the aftermath of Kenya's post-election violence in 2008, Bawa Hope has become a bridge between marginalized communities and global markets, transforming trauma into beauty through contemporary, ethnic brass jewelry, beaded jewelry, and woven baskets.

The enterprise's origin story began in an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in January 2008, where founder Anne Nzilani encountered women making jewelry amid the chaos of displacement. When Anne asked one woman why she continued creating despite losing everything, the response became the company's north star: "The poorest person in the world isn't one without food and shelter, but one without hope."

We continue to provide marketing and business development support to our artisan partners via our e-commerce sites: www.sproutenterprise.net and www.tilonia.com. And we continue to support the Kaliyachak Girls Learning Center in rural Bihar, India.

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Download the Sprout Enterprise® Impact Report 2025