Zakale Creations - Kenya
Zakale Creations is a small business situated in
the Haruma Slums of Nairobi Kenya. It's a tough place to
live riddled with gangs, drugs, crime, prostitution, and a lot of other
sorts of evil. But sometimes people are able to break
through that mess and are able to see hope and a future, rather then
repeating the cycle of poverty. Almost 5 years ago John
began a workshop making jewelry from recycled metals and glass. Through
his own God given gifts and abilities he began his small business in
the slums but still continued his life of crime, drugs, and violence.
As a very well known gang leader and all around bad guy John had
a great following of young men and women who looked up to him as a
leader in the community and feared and respected him at the same time.
john meeting with christine & christina in kenya may 2010
The
28 men and women who participate in the project have come to learn
amazing skills and they have been able to break free from their pasts
and break free into a future. They were once discarded
individuals who have now found their worth in their own eyes and in the
eyes of the Lord. Each item they make is created from
recycled wire, hand twisted and manipulated into amazing pieces of art -
disguising itself as jewelry or ornaments. Their lives
are being reused for good and now their business is flourishing and
they are making a difference in their community as strong leaders,
having a positive impact rather then the negative one they used to have.
People's lives are changing through their work - day by day.
There's a really neat video on YouTube that has video of some of the Zakale Creations artisans sharing about how being a HT artisan has changed their lives. You can see it by clicking on this link: Heavenly Treasures Changing Lives Video
To purchase Zakale Creations products, click here