A beautiful basket offers a bit of warm and natural texture to any space. It can also be a saving grace at keeping clutter out of sight. Attractive and functional — a handwoven basket is an understated necessity of the modern home.
Not all baskets are created equally, but that’s why we love KAZI’s fair trade baskets so much. Each one contains a story. The tale of a craftsperson, their family, and their community is woven into every piece. KAZI’s mission focuses on three pillars: fair wage jobs, sustainability and high-quality craftsmanship.
These align perfectly with our values here at Unison. We believe that good design is about more than looks. The way a company treats its workers and the environment is as important to us as the design and durability of a product.
Great design tells a story. And that’s why we share so many behind-the-scenes tales of how our products come to life. So let’s take a look at our collection of KAZI handmade baskets.
Modern Fair Trade Baskets
Our custom collection of Terrazzo bowls and trays were designed through a collaboration with KAZI. This collection draws its name and inspiration from the stone composite typically found in flooring. Terrazzo can be traced all the way back to ancient Egypt, but it’s most well-known as an Italian design import. The mosaic-like pattern that was once relegated to floors and countertops is now the distinctive detail of a handwoven basket. We love the bold, graphic pattern in contrasting black and neutral colors. The juxtaposition of the earthy raffia palm leaves dyed and woven into a terrazzo design is what makes this collection so captivating.
The Terrazzo Raffia Bowls are available in 12-inch and 24-inch diameters and two colorways. Upgrade your fruit basket or add one to the middle of your dining table for a centerpiece that speaks volumes. Functional and attractive, the Terrazzo Raffia Trays are offered in 17-inch and 27-inch diameters, so you’ll find a fit for any room. Place one on your coffee table to corral your living room essentials or bring one into your guest bath to make it feel like a 5-star retreat. All our Terrazzo fair trade baskets have a loop for hanging — making it easy to display them as wall art too.
Our Raffia Black Storage Basket with Lid makes your space neat and tidy while still keeping all your essentials within reach. This fair trade basket is available in two sizes, so you’ll find one to suit your space and storage needs. Because of the hand-weaving process, each basket is one of a kind with subtle variations in size and color
Our collection of KAZI fair trade baskets are all handwoven by artisans in Uganda. Not only are they high-quality, functional pieces of art — but each one provides a fair-paying job to a craftsperson from an underserved community.
Thoughtfully Designed with a Purpose
In Swahili, the word “kazi” means employment, jobs or source of income. Since its founding in 2013, KAZI has provided jobs for more than 3,600 artisans from Uganda, Ghana and Rwanda. The company doesn’t just measure success by the number of products sold or revenue generated, they also focus on the impact made by creating jobs for artisans in rural African communities.
A mother of seven, one artist who has shared her story of working with KAZI is Seraphine. Not only does the money she makes help her to feed and educate her children, but she’s also contributing to her local economy. When you buy a fair trade basket you’re helping people like Seraphine provide a higher quality of life for her family and community at large.
Craftspeople who work with KAZI can earn up to five times more for their products than by selling at their local markets. Entire villages enjoy this increase in profit. KAZI basket weavers have more money to spend at restaurants, vendors and other merchants. With an influx of money circulating, the whole community benefits when you buy one of our KAZI fair trade baskets.
Sustainability Meets Time-Tested Craftsmanship
Many of the men and women who weave baskets for KAZI have been honing their craft for years. Traditional basket weaving techniques are passed down from generation to generation. The resulting baskets are of the highest quality. They’re made for daily use and designed to last. Sustainability is a major focus for KAZI too. Our KAZI baskets are made from natural raffia palm and banana leaves. They’re harvested locally and sustainably by the weavers and their employees. If dyed, they use organic materials to color the natural fibers.
Once the leaves have been collected, a labor-intensive process of stripping the fibers from the leaves begins. The fibers are then cleaned and dyed. Teams of weavers will join together to dye their materials at the same time, reducing waste and increasing efficiency.
The construction of the baskets is an intricate process. It requires skill, patience and dedication. The dyed fibers are wrapped around bundles of sweetgrass and secured into a coil. Patterns and design variations are achieved by switching between different colors of fiber. The finished basket is truly a work of art, ready to hang on the wall or be used for storage.
Changing Lives & Changing The World
Once you learn how it’s made, a handwoven basket is no longer just a basket. It holds the story of the artisan who crafted it, their family and their community. Bring a piece of this story into your home with a Terrazzo Raffia Bowl, Tray or Black Storage Basket with Lid.
When you see your fair trade basket on your coffee table or hanging over your sofa, you’ll remember the impact you’ve made with your purchase. You can feel good supporting communities in Uganda. When you admire your KAZI basket, you’ll know you’re now a part of a story that’s changing the world for the better.
Shop our collection of KAZI Baskets, Bowls and Trays.