ST. FRANCIS GALLERY
The gallery is the outlet for the arts & crafts produced by our affiliates in Kenya. We sell outstanding artwork produced by the children of Kenya that funds the education resources for the primary school. Selected quality artwork by local artists also supports the Foundation’s work.
St. Francis Gallery is located at:
1370 Pleasant St./Route 102, South Lee. MA
Opening Hours:
Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday 10am - 5pm from mid April to December
Phone: 413-717-5199
Learn more here
TAKATAKA2PESA
Takataka2Pesa is a cooperative of 30 women based in Kisumu, Kenya that make all sorts of knitted, crocheted and sewn projects like the bags which we sell in the Saint Francis Gallery. It is run by Ans Spits and Rosemary Okwaro who have become not only great friends of Sawa Sawa but we work with them to assist those women in being entrepreneurial and to allow them to create their own destiny.
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THE KIPSONGO PROJECT
When Karen went to Kenya in September of 2012 she met Lindsey Casagrande who had started this. Karen donated some sewing machines as well as met and worked with the women of Kipsongo in the fall of 2012. The Saint Francis Gallery is now selling the wares of the Kipsongo project and has been since February of 2013.
The Kipsongo Project is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization working to improve the lives of those living in Kipsongo Slum in western KenyaCurrently, money raised from purchases and donations supports numerous initiatives including employment opportunities, a nutrition program, education programs, preventive and curative health initiatives, and economic development projects.
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DENUR CRAFTS
Denur Crafts is a small group of people, living in Kenya, who produce native handicrafts and jewelry. The group started in 1994 with just four women and has been growing ever since, presently with a membership of 40 women.
Members are selected according to a few simple criteria. One has to have skills to work by hand and have the possibility to work from their own home environment. We employ those who need a source of income in order to pay school costs for their children and/or raise the standard of living of their family. Women with children, who find themselves jobless, are given first priority. (Children are not involved in any aspect of our production.)
We are thrilled to assist in selling Denur Crafts goods at the gallery to promote her good work.
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GLOBAL HANDICRAFT CENTER
The GHC was established to help artisans get a way to earn a source of income through their gifts and talents. In return this was to provide people with handmade crafts that they would feel attached to because all handmade products are special and original. For years many artisans have been finding it hard to sell their handicrafts which they end up to fully rely on. The GHC is a merger of many organizations which make products of many categories including crafts and fine art. The GHC has a long term goal of helping artisans from Kenya and selling all handmade at better prices help them attain sustainability and turn the artisan profession to a more adorable one. We have an objective of helping our clients get good crafts sourced from across the world that would give them have an intimate feeling with them, since handmade products are unique and each piece is original.
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