WEAVING HOPE TOGETHER™ GALLERIES
African Market Baskets owner and founder, Steve Karowe, formed a non-profit, Weaving Hope Together™, to fund and guide our various humanitarian projects in Ghana. Whether it be signing up villagers for healthcare, providing school supplies and mosquito nets to those in need, or building a weaving center, all of our efforts aim to empower the weavers, their families, and the communities of Bolgatanga. African Market Baskets donates 10% of our profits to our non-profit, so indeed, every basket helps in a profound and impactful way.
Click on each gallery to view images and learn more about our humanitarian projects.
HEALTH INSURANCE REGISTRATION
Since 2006, we have partnered with the Ministry of Health to get thousands of villagers signed up to receive health insurance. We organize several registration days every year, where people arrive from all of the surrounding villages and we coordinate with health officials to get their pictures taken and their info entered into the national system. Knowing how crucial healthcare is to the weavers and their families, these are some of the most anticipated and important events of the year for Weaving Hope Together™.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Every year since 2007, we have distributed basic school supplies to an entire primary school, selecting a different school each year. Rather than bringing supplies from overseas, we always purchase them locally, which helps to infuse much-needed cash into their economy. There is an urgent need for school supplies throughout rural Ghana and we are honored to help empower hundreds of students.
MOSQUITO NETS
In 2016, we purchased and distributed mosquito nets to help reduce the ongoing risk of malaria in the villages in Bolgatanga. We provided nets to the inhabitants of an orphanage, as well as to villagers throughout the region. In addition to handing out the mosquito nets, we coordinated with a Peace Corps malaria specialist and with the Ministry of Health to both provide malaria prevention education and register villagers for healthcare on the same day.
WEAVING CENTER
In 2009, we constructed a weaving center in Bolgatanga, a cooperative effort involving the Tindana (owner of the land), who gladly and generously donated his land for us to build the center, providing a cherished resource for his people. Weaving centers are one of the most-requested projects for our non-profit and they serve many purposes: in addition to providing protection from the elements, they are a place where women can come together to discuss village happenings, family issues, and provide childcare, all while weaving baskets.