Jack & Ndoh Creations

The next artisan we spent time with was Jack. He makes our beaded jewelry. Check out our 20-line necklaces and 40-line necklaces.

We wanted to have some more beaded pieces to offer, so we checked out what Jack and his employees had been working on lately.

We came up with a few designs together, including a Native American-inspired necklace that is one of my favorites from this trip! I already bought one for myself from the order.

We also created some bracelets and necklaces using the old Kenyan coins that are no longer in circulation. They are really cool. I'm wearing the bracelet right now! There are also more options for guys now- that's been a big focus of this trip.

It's an awesome feeling to be able to call all of the artisans, like Jack, my friends. I can't wait to put the new stuff on the store! And stay tuned, because I'll also be posting a video of our time at Jack's.

Have a great day!

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Video: Hike in Ngong Hills

We had a day off so we decided to go hiking! Ngong Hills is about a half hour outside of Nairobi and it is beautiful. We had a great time, complete with armed guards to keep us safe.

If you are ever around Nairobi, this is definitely a place you should check out.

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Video: Benson's Workshop

We went to Benson's workshop, where he and his employees make all of our bone jewelry. We interviewed him about his business and even had one of our new designs made while we were there!

We promise the guys really love their jobs even though the dusty room doesn't look too pleasant. Benson looks forward to growing his business so that he can provide a room with even better ventilation for his employees. Trust me, it's an upgrade from what it used to be. One jewelry sale at a time...



Check out our Bone Star Earring and Rectangle Bone Earring to see some of the products Benson has made us. We are bringing a ton of new stuff home with us too!

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Video: Traveling to Africa

 It was a long couple days! Meet the crew in order of appearance: Maggie, Kerbi, Katy, Rebecca, Brady and Travis.



-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Gabriel's Metal Works

Our second interview and order day was spent with Gabriel, who runs his business with his father. These guys make our metal earrings and metal bracelets.

They work mostly with aluminum and brass and do everything by hand- sawing, etching, and hammering. Above: the guys working on one of the new necklaces we just ordered.

We got lots of footage of the guys at their work stations and also interviewed Gabriel. We asked him all about his jewelry, his story, and what he hopes for the future of his business.

Here is a great shot of Gabriel and his father. We love working with these guys and we are bringing back tons of beautiful jewelry to add to the store.

We're staying busy here in Nairobi!

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Benson's Workshop

We went over to Benson's workshop yesterday where all of our bone jewelry is made.

 

We interviewed Benson (above on the left) about his business, and we will share it with you so you can get to know him too! Look at Brady up there behind the camera.

All of the jewelry starts out like these bones shown above. You'd never guess something so pretty once looked like this.

Here are some of Benson's employees working on shaving down the bone into earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. It's awesome that Benson's business has grown enough that he can provide jobs for locals.

 

This is what the bones turn into. The work that these guys do is pretty amazing.

 

Rebecca modeled one of the first pieces that we've designed with Benson. The heart pendant necklace will be debuting soon and you'll only be able to find it at Red Earth! We are very excited.

We had a great day hanging out with Benson and his crew. We did some more designing and placed a big order that will be available on the store soon.

We're having a blast here! Have a great weekend!

-Kerbi

Team RETCo.

Karibu!

Upon arriving in Kenya, there are a couple words that I learned right away. Karibu, which means "welcome", and jambo, which means "hello."

The first thing we did after checking in at our hotel was plan our stay over Kenyan coffee. We have a lot to do in 10 days! Up there is Travis enjoying his cup.

We went right away to meet up with a few of our artisans. We saw Jack (beaded jewelry), Gabriel (metal), and Benson (bone). We started working with them on design, orders, and setting up times for interviews. We're going to have tons of photos and video to share, so you get to meet these guys too!

We were also able to go check out the Magik Grace store and workshop. It was incredible!

Overall, we had a great first day in Kenya. Even though we were tired, we hit the ground running on making the most of our time here!

Up next: our day at Benson's workshop.

Have a great day!

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

30 hours, 3 flights, and 3 continents

We set out for Nairobi on Tuesday afternoon. Our travels began without a hitch and we were all very excited to begin our adventure.

Here's the whole team (minus camera man Travis) in Nashville.

We had a slight change in plans after our first flight to DC was delayed due to weather. We missed our connection to Brussels and ended up catching a flight to Dubai. After that 13 hour flight, we were pretty exhausted.

Finally, we arrived in Kenya after a day and a half of traveling.  After two full days here, jet lag is starting to wear off.  We've already been meeting with the artisans and we're working on some exciting things that we'll be sharing soon.

Enjoy the photos and stay tuned!

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

What it is all about...

You may or may not know this, but Red Earth Trading Co. is not all about great jewelry.  It is about so much more!  It is about real people with real lives and helping in a real way.

In brief, RETCo. exists to help sustain an organization called Global Support Mission that works with local organizations, called Network Affiliates, in developing countries.  Inside Global Support Mission exists a a program called Know.Think.Act.  Know.Think.Act. allows people to get involved and raise money for actual needs in the organizations we support.  So like I said, it is not all about great jewelry.
 

My name is Katie Sasser and I not only work for RETCo., but I also work for Global Support Mission (GSM).  My husband and I live in Uganda, Africa working with one of our Network Affiliate's called Bringing Hope to the Family.  So, from time to time I will post a blog that talks about what is going on over here, and how buying jewelry is changing the world one community, one family, one person at a time.

Recently, we finished a well in a village called Kariruga located in Western Uganda in the Katooke district. This money for this well was raised on www.knowthinkact.com.  It was just people sharing the vision and wanting to give.  This well supplies clean water to 29 families that can sleep better at night knowing that they do not have to worry about diseases due to unclean water.

stay adventurous

-katie
Team RETCo.

If you are interested in learning more please visit www.globalsupportmission.com and www.knowthinkact.com 

Media Monday: Tree of Life

The newest film by Terrence Malick is set to release in the U.S. May 27. I am really excited about this one. We'll be in Nairobi when it comes out,  but maybe by the time we're home it'll be showing in  Nashville. Check out the trailer...



Have a great week!

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.