Sishemo
Who We Are
Sishemo is a women-led social enterprise based in Nakatindi, a community on the outskirts of Livingstone, Southern Zambia. Nakatindi borders the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park, home to the world-famous Mosi-oa-Tunya ('The Smoke that Thunders', known as the Victoria Falls).
With extremely limited employment opportunities within Nakatindi, particularly for women, Sishemo provides economic empowerment opportunities to our 7 female artisans who collectively support over 40 family members and dependents. All our artisans are now the breadwinners of their families and are using their income to support the education, health and well-being of their families and community.
We take discarded glass bottles from lodges, hotels and households across Livingstone, crush and fire the glass into handcrafted, unique beads using traditional techniques. These beads are then used to make one-of-a-kind necklaces, bracelets, earrings and other bead products sold from the Sishemo Studio in Nakatindi, national outlets in Livingstone and Lusaka and now online through ABANYA.
As a social enterprise we are committed to supporting the lives and livelihoods of our artisans - they are each co-owners of the enterprise, giving them a secure, sustainable and long-term source of income. In addition, we donate a portion of profit from selected products to local community and conservation projects, amplifying our impact as a social enterprise.
Sishemo was made possible through generous start-up funding provided by Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy and guests from Sanctuary Retreats Sussi & Chuma.
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