East African Handcraft Shop

Creatively talented men and women receive a personal opportunity to grow spiritually, skillfully, and sustainably.

Throughout the year we encounter hand-crafted East-African beauty and carefully select the pieces we think you’ll love. Fall handcraft shows in West Michigan provide an opportunity to make those products easily accessible to you. However, feel free to browse those fairly traded crafts here and send us a note about which ones you’d love to give as gifts or keep as your own treasure. We don’t have an official “store” (yet), but use the Contact Us button and we’ll make sure you receive your favorite East African handcrafts.

Over the years, we served hundreds of hardworking men and women to develop their craft skills and their business acumen for the glory of God. Your purchases provided encouragement, development, and the finances needed to care for their families. Those same purchases made our ministry to the crafters possible. What began in 2010 and RETIRED in 2022 represents the hundreds of relationships developed in the name of Jesus. We’re preserving this page as a legacy to all of you who made this ministry possible. We couldn’t have done it without you!

Enjoy browsing the few items available as you eagerly wait to see what we found for you this year.

Mama Dollies

$20 each

Wearing traditional African dresses, each 12-inch mama has her baby snuggly wrapped to her back in the Kenyan way with a matching cloth.

Cement Sack Bags

$20 each

Messenger bags made from discarded cement sacks are lined with beautiful local fabrics.

Grass Baskets

$20 – $35 each

Hand-woven grass baskets made by Phionah and 30 other women in Uganda. They are available in 12-, 14-, 16-, and 18-inch diameters between 4 and 6 inches deep. Primarily available in black and natural color, a few citrus colors also brighten up the room.

Tiny-Beaded Baskets

$39

Hand-woven grass baskets lined with a variety of local fabric patterns and covered with the meticulously detailed tiny-bead pattern of flowers, paisley, animals, and more. Our friends in the Malindi Tourist Market can always be found with a handful of tiny beads along with a needle and thread.

Rice Totes

$12 each

Multi-purpose totes made from food sacks are rimmed with beautiful local fabrics. Great for the beach, soda cans, sleeping bags, or shopping.

Beaded Cuff Bracelets

$10 each

Colorful designs with flexible wires make these tiny-bead cuff bracelets a perfect fit for everyone.

Knitted Orangutan

$30 each

Vibrant orange fur covers this marvelous creature. Spun and died by the women of Kenana Knitters, this organic wool orangutan sits about 18-inches tall from hand to toe.

Branch Nativity

$19 each

Joseph, Mary, and baby Jesus are roughly carved from a tree branch with the bark still in place. About eight-inches tall, fold the sides in for easy storage.

Noah’s Ark

$49 each

This traditional Maasai shuka fabric, flip-top ark includes two elephant, giraffe, zebra, and Mr. and Mrs. Noah.

Knitted Safari Animals

$8 each

Tree ornaments or toddler toys, these hand-dyed wool creatures are adorable at about six-inches tall.

Maasai Skuka Blanket

$20

These cotton blankets measure 7 x 5 feet and are traditionally worn by the Maasai tribe of East Africa. The tribe is known for wearing the bright read shuka like a cape. While the shuka is not handcrafted, it represents the brand of the Maasai people and the culture and customs important to them.

Sisal Baskets

$40

These baskets are woven from the locally grown sisal plant. The women of Machacos, Kenya are well known for their basket-weaving skills. Baskets have a round, flat bottom and stand about 15 inches tall.

Surprised by Hope
464 Adaway Ave SE
Ada, MI 49301
United States

info@
surprisedbyhope.org

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