New Partnership Brings Exciting New Jewelry!

We are over the moon about Awava's new partnership with Mzuribeads! Mzuribeads is a UK-based fair trade organization working with women in Ndejje Village, Uganda, making amazingly beautiful eco-friendly beads using banana fiber, recycled paper, cow horn, bark cloth and recycled glass and selling to beaders around Europe, and now the US & Canada!

Awava partnered with Mzuribeads in August 2011 to add value to the wonderful work the women were already doing, by designing an exclusive line of finished jewelry!

We're excited to launch this line in Kampala starting 6 October 2011, selling exclusively at The Duuka inside Emin Pasha Hotel in Nakasero! We will have these gorgeous new offerings (and a couple more) available on our website starting November 2011. Stay tuned!

Papula Necklace

Muti Necklace

Kiseke Bracelet

Ssanyu Necklace

Mukwano Earrings~Mzuri

Kutu Earrings

Our September-October Giveaway!

Sorry for the extreme delays! We missed the September giveaway because Awava Founding Director, Kate von Achen's family was visiting Uganda! That's a great excuse, right?! But never fear, the giveaway is back! And to make up for it, we will be drawing TWO lucky names at the end of October for our giveaway!

click image above to enlarge

New Basket Colors and New Designs!

We just picked new basket colors, just in time for fall AND we're introducing a new design! Well done Nayiga Bena and Nabalema Edith on the colors and design! And a big congratulations for Bena for paying off another interest free loan from Awava!

NEW DESIGN! Kimuli Basket

NEW COLORS! Kasaayi Basket~Fall

NEW COLORS! Musoke Basket~Fall

Our Uganda Friday: Raw Expression~Arts Night by Breakdance Project Uganda!

by Kate von Achen

I had the pleasure of meeting Abramz Tekya in January 2007 and was blown away by his then very young project, Breakdance Project Uganda (BPU). Abramz, growing up in a slum outside Kampala, wanted to provide a platform for disadvantaged youth to bring about social change through the arts. BPU started offering free breakdance classes to these youth in Kampala, and this amazing program has spread like wildfire around the country. I continue to be in awe of Abramz and his strength and passion for bringing about positive social change to his community.

"Raw Expression" is a unique new arts night that BPU has organized to showcase and celebrate different art forms in their realness. Their aim is to create a platform for creative, raw and unique arts/artists that the mainstream media hardly pays attention to.

This event is also one of BPU's income generating activites so by supporting this, you're helping sustain their non profit services as well as extending to additional locations in Uganda.

"Raw Expression" will showcase elements of hiphop including Breakdance (bboying and bgirling), Rap, Popping, Locking, Beatboxing, Dj’ing and Graffiti through live dance battles, visual art displays and performances. The first event in September also includes Street Basket Ball and live poetry. BPU will provide an old school hiphop, soul and afro funk vibe. Don't miss out on this unique hiphop/arts event!

VENUE: Open House, Buganda Road (next to Watoto Church)
DATE : Friday 30th September 2011
TIME: Doors open from 7pm. The show will run from 8pm until midnight.
COST: 10,000 UGX

You can keep up-to-date with all BPU events at www.bpuevents.org. To get involved, email bpu.getinvolved@gmail.com!

Extraordinary: Significant Women of Uganda Book NOW Available Internationally!

Since arriving on the Uganda art scene in 2001, Daudi Karungi has become one of Kampala’s leading artists and entrepreneurs.

Daudi set off one year ago to discover the extraordinary women of Uganda, in hopes of eventually

publishing a photo collection that celebrated their lives. Sending out calls for recommendations, and having many in mind on his own, he was quickly overwhelmed by the number of phenomenal women his country clearly had within its borders. Unable to capture them all, this book, Extraordinary:Significant Women of Uganda eventually resulted in a cross-section of over fifty women from all walks of life, young and old, professionals, artists, politicians and activists, sharing their experience of going after their dreams and continuing their journeys, often in the face of great challenges. These women greatly inspire with their wisdom, tenacity and beauty.

The last page of Extraordinary provides a template to add a photo and words, adding your favorite extraordinary woman to the book, making this a fantastic gift for the extraordinary women in your life! We know what the extraordinary women in our lives will be getting this holiday season!

Published by Afriart Gallery Books, each book is hardcover and will be signed by the author.

Awava has taken particular interest in getting this publication out to an international audience because it provides a platform for all of the amazing women we have come across and have the privilege of working with in Uganda. Two of Founding Director, Kate von Achen’s personal sheroes, and major inspirations for her coming to Uganda, world renowned feminists and Africanists, Honorable Miria Matembe and Sylvia Tamale are also featured in this book, making us even more giddy about its arrival!

We also want to give great thanks to the Dutch Ambassador and his amazing wife for welcoming us into their home last night for the private launch of this book. It was great to be able to meet and talk with most of the women featured in this book, and we will cherish all of the beautiful notes and signatures we acquired in our copy!

In Uganda you can buy the book at the following retail outlets:

• Afriart Gallery (Kenneth Dale Drive~Kamwokya)
• Aristoc Bookstore (Garden City Mall and Kampala Road)
• The Duuka (at Emin Pasha Hotel~Nakasero)
• Uganda Bookshop (Colville Street)
• Banana Boat (Kisementi, Garden City Mall & Lugogo Game)

Internationally, you can purchase this amazing book here on our site!

For international wholesale, please contact Daudi at daudi@afriartgallery.org.

Awava Monthly Giveaway August Winner

(Drum roll...)

And we have a winner. It took us a little longer to get this to you guys but we finally have a winner for the Awava Monthly Giveaway for August where the prize is a lovely Omusana Yoga Mat Bag.

We changed things up a bit this time. Here you will see the names of the entrants laid out on the Eddembe Macbook Sleeve.

And here are all the names ready to be drawn in the Amaka Makeup Bag.

And here is a video of the draw. We changed up the location this time and held the draw at one of the coffee shops that the Awava ladies like to hang out at that also has a nice view of Kololo, one of the neighbourhoods in Kampala.



Congratulations to our friends on Twitter, @theopenarmsshop

Watch out for the September give away and good luck!

A Little Random Happiness for Monday!

Awava's main tailor and trainer, Auma Lucy (aka Mama Lucy)!

Photo by: Paul Szynol