Creating Dignified Jobs for 110 Artisans in Kenya

Hi!

What a year 2020 was! And while the whole world suffered in many ways due to Covid-19, it also gave everyone the opportunity to be thankful for the things that matter most - community. Whether it be friends, family, or your extended community, 2020 reminded us that we need each other even if we don't know each other and that we are truly all connected.

It has been beautiful to see the support we received here at Imani Collective in Mombasa, Kenya worlds away from where you might be through creating and sustaining dignified jobs for 110 artisans in 2020! Even though you may not have met our artisans, you still felt compelled to support them. That is community - because we are not just better together, we are our best. 

So, thank you for your generous donation to our dignified work program for artisans this past year. 

We truly couldn't do it with you. We aren't better together, we are our best!

Warmly,

Hayley Adamski

Director of Partnerships + Community Engagement

Hello There,

Since our last report in August, we've faced challenges in keeping all our artisans and staff on board and had to make some of the hardest decisions in making cuts to stay afloat. Thankfully, these changes only lasted a short while as we were able to bring back the artisans who were furloughed and, with your contribution, we were also able to resume some of our holistic care like the food program.

As we approach the Christmas season and are looking forward to finishing this year strong, we continue to humbly request your assistance in keeping our doors open and for our artisans to keep receiving holistic care and their salaries. Every little bit counts, and we know we cannot do this without you.

We continue to thank you for your generous support and are grateful for each and every one of you.

Best Regards,

F E M I D A    O T I E N O

Director of Holistic Programs
KENYA.

+254 723 301 932

I M A N I   C O L L E C T I V E

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Good Morning! As mentioned in our last report, we had switched our focus to giving out food relief to all of our artisans as we experience workshop closures and various government restrictions. We are still in the midst of COVID-19 and all that entails, but we have opened our doors again and are practicing the protocol needed to keep all of us safe. 

Our core mission as a social enterprise is to contribute to the sector of workforce development by providing consistent, stable employment. As a result, we have not let go of any of our artisans. We know that our program is unique as it equally centers around providing income and holistic care. If we cut employment, we not only cut salaries, but we are removing our staff from our community, which directly influences more than just income. It affects mental, physical and emotional health, factors which have been evidenced as key to affecting one’s sense of agency that contributes to poverty alleviation. (See our Artisan Impact Report for more information.)

We would love your assistance in keeping our doors open and artisans receiving their monthly salaries. Every little bit counts and we know we can't do this without you. We are $8,755 away from finishing this project with GlobalGiving. Let us finish strong this week, together!

Sending my gratitude,

Jenny Nuccio
Founder of Imani Collective

Hello,

Since March 2020 when the first case of COVID19 was registered in Kenya, we’ve had to change our focus temporarily from our day to day operations to training our artisans on the application of COVID19 preventive measures in accordance to the guidelines we received from the Ministry of health.

We have had to shut down the workshop due to curfews and the cessation of movements within major cities and their neighboring counties as directed by the Government, but towards the end of April, there was a light at the end of the tunnel as the government started permitting SME’s, Social Enterprises, local traders and NGO’s to start operating as long as they adhered to the guidelines in applying preventive measures against the spread of COVID19 at their workplaces.

Tough as it has been for all of us, we are grateful that none of our artisans or staffs has contracted the virus (so far) as they have been equipped with accurate and adequate information on how to stay safe, maintaining social distance and sanitization, along with provision of masks.

During this time, we’ve also been able to disburse food relief and sanitary care to all our artisans while they navigate uncertainty amidst the COVID-19 pandemic as we resumed work gradually which in return provided salaries for our artisans and Childcare + supplies needed for the artisans kids.

We continue to thank you for your generous support in this project as we look forward to resuming work in full capacity and to continue creating dignified jobs for 106 artisans in Kenya. 

Kind Regards,

F E M I D A    O T I E N O

Director of Holistic Programs

+254 723 301 932

I M A N I   C O L L E C T I V E

website | instagram | facebook

Imani collective has been able to impact more than 72 men and women in the last 3 month by creating dignified jobs, caring for them and their families through skills training, education and community. We have grown in capacity from 72 to 82 artisans and through your support, we have been able to: -

• Provide free childcare program for about 22 kids.
• 40 artisans have taken part in our literacy classes, learning how to read and write in English.
• Provided over 200 nutritional meals through over food program.
• Celebrated over 22 birthdays between January and March 2020.
• Had 5 Home visits, where we get to visit the artisans at their homes, this allowed us to know where our artisans come from, their living conditions and also interact with their families.
• Planned/organized a team building to be held by the end of March 2020 for the entire organization of about 82 Artisans + Staff for a day of laughter and promoting team work.
• Conducted our first quarterly Employee Empowerment Survey to gather information of ongoing progress of the Artisans, ideas and suggestions they would like implemented, as well as areas of improvement.
• Employed 10 more artisans to increase production capacity from 72 to 82 artisans.
• Conducted our first training for the year 2020 on Financial Literacy in both locations.
• We’ve had 9 sessions of RISE (Character building classes) which has helped pour into the Artisans with topics to build morals and good work ethics.
• Monthly sessions of Environmental Sustainability classes to educate the artisans on the importance of maintaining a responsible interaction with the environment so as to stop the degradation of our natural resources and create a better environment for ourselves and future generations.
• Awarded monthly bonuses to 32 of our Artisans in terms of Employee of the month, most improved, Imani Collective spirited and perfect attendance.
• Began discussions of dreams and goals in our Dream management program for all our artisans for the year 2020 to help the artisans in planning steps including training and budgeting to achieve their goals.

We would like to take this opportunity to say Thank you once again. Through your support, we continue to strive to be ethically and environmentally responsible in our daily activities as we empower both men and women through employment and skills training which provide opportunities for them to unleash their greatness and rise together with their families above poverty. 

Best Regards,

F E M I D A    O T I E N O

Director of Holistic Programs

+254 723 301 932