Eco-Friendly Artisan Jewelry from Zambia

Known as our Earth and Water Collection. 

Our Zambia Jewelry consists of handmade pieces crafted by Zambian artisans in the South Luangwa using organic materials originating from the African Bush.

Shop DarajaImports.com and make a difference.

View SALE! pieces in our Earth and Water Collection.

Made from freshwater pearls, abalone shell, driftwood beads, vegetable ivory seed and/or semi-precious stones.  These designs are elegant, edgy and contemporary.  We are excited to offer this collection.

Eco friendly jewelry means that each of the pieces we share with our shoppers is crafted by hand from green, natural, recycled and repurposed materials.

The other materials used are sustainably and ethically sourced. Feathers and driftwood wild teak are collected for jewelry use as is vegetable ivory (tagua) from local palm nuts. The abalone shell, antique silver beads, charms.

Zambia is also home to a thriving Asian community, predominantly of Indian and Chinese origin, numbering around 100,000, as well as a number of European expatriates, some of whom were invited to settle in Zambia by the local government having been cast off their farms in neighbouring Zimbabwe.

All this makes Zambia home to a vibrant mix of cultures, traditions and peoples, and Zambia is also widely-considered to be one of the friendliest and most welcoming nations in the world.

Visit our website DarajaImports.com and shop this wonderful collection.  FREE SHIPPING.

Southern Womens Show Charlotte NC

Daraja Imports - The Award Winning Exhibit at the Southern Women’s Show in Richmond VA.

This Weekend we will meet thousands of new and old friends at the Southern Womens Show in Charlotte NC.  Aug 28 - 30, 2015. Excitement is in the air with hundreds of new exhibits, activities and ideas.  Fashion, Food and Fun .. it doesn't get better.

 "We get excited about creating festive, entertaining and inspiring shows for you to enjoy with your family and friends. Our mission is to help you discover what you'll experience here, the real excitement begins when you arrive." Southern Womens Show

Experience the beauty and feel of Daraja Imports ™ at the Southern Women's Show in Charlotte this weekend Aug 28-30th.  Be sure to stop by our booth for a visit and check out all the show specials.

Check our calendar often and be sure to visit when we're near you.  Shop DarajaImports.com anytime. Click the red tab on the home page and get your Discount Code for savings.

Artisans Collection Empowers and Ripples ….

… From Opportunites to Realities.  

The Artisans' Collection is handcrafted jewelry made in a remote Maasai village in Northern Tanzania by a group of Maasai women.  The collection features the Empowerment Necklace and Earrings Set, shown below. There are over 100 women artisans involved in the entire Empowerment Project that consists of many designs.

The Artisans

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 "... a portion of their proceeds from our Empowerment Necklace is used for education, awareness and the creation of a safe environment for open discussion and the promotion of a woman’s choice in this matter..." 

The Artisans, a Maasai women's group in Tanzania  also makes home decor items dragonflies, baby angels, cone angels, garland, snowflakes, star-cicles, beaded Christmas trees, anklets, artisan earrings & trade bead necklaces.

“Girls in parts of Tanzania are often forced to undergo female genital mutilation, even though the practice is illegal. Faced with FGM, many had nowhere to turn - until now. A safe house has opened in the north of the country to offer protection when they need it most.” Read more on ‘The Cutting Season’  Linda Pressly BBC, Tanzania 

Female Genital Mutilation, FGM, is a cultural expectation still widely practiced in many areas of the world, including among the Maasai of East Africa.  Yes it is now illegal, however intense cultural and generational pressure from family and communities easily removes the young woman’s power of choice and many times it is violent.  Just getting to the safe house many times is the biggest obstacle. 

“Rhobi Samwelly is the co-ordinator of the safe house, funded by the Anglican Church and supported by other churches together with the local mosque. She raced against the clock to get everything ready before the arrival of the first teenager.”  Read more

At Daraja Imports™, we believe that every young woman should be given the knowledge she needs, as well as the permission required, to make an informed choice about this life-altering procedure. Toward that end, a portion of their proceeds from our EmpowermentNecklace is used for education, awareness and the creation of a safe environment for open discussion and the promotion of a woman’s choice in this matter. Thank you for partnering with us in this worthy endeavor.

The Artisans, a Tanzanian Maasai women’s group also makes our dragonflies, baby angels, cone angels, garland, snowflakes,star-cicles, beaded Christmas trees, anklets, artisan earrings & trade beadnecklaces.

Shop Online Now: Get Your Discount Code

Zulugrass Jewelry Makes a Difference

Zulugrass Jewelry?  How much Difference does it Make?

Stack Single Strands Wear Everywhere

Zulugrass Jewelry is available in long strands, multiple strands and as long single strands.  All very versatile, colorful, expressive, durable, waterproof and is just simply awesome.

And the story goes …"When one Kenyan woman heard of the opportunity to earn a living making Zulugrass jewelry, she pulled together enough money to travel a great distance to another East African village by bus to learn the trade.

Single Strands Wrapped as Anklets

She quickly became the highest producer of jewelry in the Maasai Tribe and asked the founders of the program to set up a training site in her area.

In doing so, the founders discovered that she owned a small store in her village, and that her customers had little or nothing.  She had never been able to turn her back on them… which meant she had many outstanding bills because of their debts. She made this financial investment in herself and her community so that her neighbors could not only afford to pay their debts, but they could also make a better life.

Wear Several Strands as Necklace

The workstation was a success!  Her neighbors paid their outstanding debts within two months. Less than a year later, she earned enough money to buy a plot of land in the town and build a larger store to accommodate the needs of the village.”  Leakey Foundation.

Quite a success story. And, the success is for many.

Zulugrass Single Strand

What Is Zulugrass?

As you would imagine, wild native grasses.  More of a nuisance it was previously burned because cattle will not graze on it.  Now, it’s a sustainable crop. Zulugrass is tubular and has a hole inside it, also hard and durable. Naturally dyed, the grass becomes almost luminous.

Wrap and Stack Single Strands

Beads are strung with elastic along with hand-blown Czech and Japanese glass beads.  They simply compliment one another. All Zulugrass jewelry is waterproof, colorfast, and long lasting.

When you think about the whole picture here, it’s a bridge.  Daraja Imports™ is continually excited about being part of building that bridge that closes the economic gap. 

Zulugrass Multi Strand Bracelet

Similar to the feeling you get when you enjoy wearing these Zulugrass strands, wrap, twist, stack, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, hair scrunchie – You just can’t help but recognize the connection you feel with these artisans.  Not only does their talent abound in their craftsmanship but they conduct themselves as professionals and business men and women supporting their families and communities.

Yes, Fair Trade Jewelry Makes A Difference!

Wrap Single Strands Long or Short

Discover how easy it is to have the confidence that you make a difference when you purchase from Daraja Imports™.  Because every piece does have a story.

Daraja Imports™ is a Fair Trade Company.