Milulu grass basket

Mifuko is Swahili and means bag. The collaboration between Finnish designer duo Minna Impiö and Mari Martikainen and Kenyan women also began with bags and baskets - so what could be more natural than to name their company the same? The Mifuko range includes products that are made by hand from resource-saving or renewable natural materials. The focus is on bags and baskets made from regional materials such as sisal, milulu grass, palm leaves, elephant grass or paper cords, but recycled plastic is also used. The containers are not only intended for transport purposes, but primarily as versatile storage and organization aids in the home, such as this large basket made from robust Milulu grass (Eleocharis acutangula), a reed-like species of marsh rush that grows in tropical wetlands. The milulu grass for this basket comes from Tanzania and is also processed there, in the village of Iringa, using the traditional weaving technique. The Milulu grass basket is stiffer than the Mifuko sisal basket. Due to its openwork weave, it ensures excellent air circulation, which makes it ideal as a laundry basket. It can be used just as well for storing toys, blankets, newspapers or magazines and much more. Thanks to the sturdy leather carrying straps, you can carry the Milulu basket comfortably even when full. You can see who wove your basket on the attached sign, where the women sign their names.

The designs of the Finnish label Mifuko are not only characterized by Kenyan tradition and craftsmanship, but the products are also manufactured in Kenya. The cooperation with the Kenyan craftswomen came about in 2009 as a result of the two Mifuko designers' long-standing ties with Kenya. Mifuko now works with around 400 women, not only in Kenya, but also in Tanzania, Ethiopia and Ghana. They live mainly in rural areas and work primarily in agriculture. In the dry season, they weave carpets, weave baskets or bags, make jewelry and many other decorative items. Fair pay and long-term business relationships are just as important as the skills and traditional manufacturing techniques are taken into account when designing the products. This gives the women the opportunity to expand their knowledge and pass it on to younger women. They can build up their own network and are ultimately able to earn an additional income, as the women and their families primarily work in agriculture. Only when their own fields have been cultivated and the animals cared for do they produce for Mifuko, thus earning an additional income that often saves them during the drought.

Minna Impiö and Mari Martikainen have had Mifuko certified as a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO). On the one hand, this implies the permanent implementation and monitoring of fair trade and fair pay, and on the other hand, care is taken to ensure that the natural habitat is affected as little as possible during the manufacture of the products and that occupational safety is guaranteed. In addition, Impiö and Martikainen finance projects that improve the lives of workers and their families, such as the construction of sanitary facilities.

This product is an example of genuine handicraft; therefore, minor deviations in size and colour may occur.