About Sabahar

Sabahar is a secular, not-for-profit-only business founded to help vulnerable Ethiopians escape from chronic poverty. They are a start-up venture, still small and with lots to learn; however they have already done a fabulous job creating jobs and new markets that would otherwise be unavailable.

Women are employed in spinning cotton and silk, weaving textiles from these materials and dyeing the textiles with locally grown vegetable-based dyes. Most women are experienced with these arts; however where needed, the women are taught new or enhanced skills.

Sabahar works with local NGOs in rural communities around Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital, and donates a portion of all sales back to these non-profit NGOs, supporting women in a region still recovering from decades of war, famine and drought.

The Sabahar textiles sold by The Peace Company are made by vulnerable women involved in Sabahar’s development programs. As part of The Peace Company’s Peace Gifts for Global Healing program, a portion of profits from your purchase of Sabahar textiles will be returned to the NGOs that Sabahar works with.

 
These are women from Alem Gena, a community 20 km from Addis Ababa. These women belong to a group of 20 women who were selected by the local authorities to participate in some focused, income generating activities by a women's NGO. They were selected due to their extreme vulnerability and poverty.

Tseganesh (right) is head of her household, and supports two daughters. She is trying to earn enough income so her daughters can complete their schooling. Her main source of income before working with Sabahar was collecting firewood and selling it locally in the market. This work is very difficult, unreliable and can be risky for women. She is now spinning silk on a part time basis (and she is an excelling spinner due to a lifetime of experience spinning cotton). With the income she earns from Sabahar, she does not have to go to collect firewood. Her daughters have also started spinning silk, resulting in a substantial increase in reliable income for the family.

Tseganesh will soon start a volunteer 'savings' program which Sabahar is offering to such artisans, where a small percentage of weekly income will be held by Sabahar in a savings account, and will be augmented with an additional 'incentive' amount from the company.

These young women are Fana (left) and Tshai (right). They are part of the Youth with a Mission program. Sabahar is trying to work with young women who have limited education and extremely limited economic opportunities. They are often forced into occupations which are dangerous and unreliable. Sabahar is trying to introduce different technologies to such groups, in order that they can earn some income which may then allow them to return to school. Spinning is a skill known to most Ethiopian women and does not carry with it low status as other handicrafts do.

Setegn is a weaver who comes from a traditional Dorse weaving family. He is one of seven siblings who have learned to weave from their father. Setegn has worked with Sabahar for more than a year now, and has developed unique and creative techniques to work with the eri silk. He works on a traditional loom using local techniques and designs. He is a master weaver, and is willing to be a trainer for new weavers.

Emebet, is an employee of CBCIDO, a community based organization founded by an extremely dedicated and visionary Ethiopian woman, Dr. Jember, to be a model for a sustainable community organization. All employees of the organization are chosen on the basis of their willingness to work hard and their degree of vulnerability. Most of the women weavers are sole supporters of their children and had no previous employment or skills. Emebet, as are the other seven women weavers, are paid according to the work they do. They welcome orders from Sabahar, as this greatly increases their reliable income.

The final product - beautiful, natural textiles that are sowing
the seeds of peace in Ethiopia.

Sabahar has recently started working with Ethiopian prisoners. The relationship between poverty, crime and conflict is clear—chronic poverty and lack of economic opportunities fosters the seeds of conflict and crime. The enormity of poverty in the developing world exacerbates the potential for crime and conflict.

Sabahar is currently working with male prisoners who already know how to weave. They are also just starting to train young women prisoners to weave, which is a new skill for them. The weaving skills will help ensure they can find work once they are released. Once back in society, both men and women may continue to weave for Sabahar, providing ongoing income and an incentive to not return to prison. The income the prisoners earn while incarcerated will be available to them when are freed.

For more information about human rights issues in Ethiopia, please visit the Human Rights Watch website.