Edwin is hitting the road!

It's a busy and exciting time here for all of us at Red Earth Trading Co! Our team just came back from Africa, we are working on a new website and we are excited about all of our new products!  I am gearing up to hit the road and bring Red Earth Trading Co. to a home or church near you! I'm very excited to get out there and help spread our message of hope.

So, if you have been interested in hosting a house party, no matter where you are in the US, here is your chance! For more information, visit the website.

I hope to be seeing you all very soon,

Edwin 

Team RETCo. 

Paper Craft

Our last stop before heading back to the states was at Paper Craft. That's where we get our recycled glass neckaces. We have also carried journals that they make with handmade paper.

Demonstrating the paper making process

We got a tour of the workshop, starting with how they make their paper.  It's quite the process and it really makes me want to make my own! After each sheet is blended, soaked, and set, it is set outside to dry on the lawn.

Finished paper drying out

All of the recycled glass products are made behind the building. Bottles are crushed and the glass powder is put into different molds. Those molds are put into the fire pit and the powder is transformed into beads and pendants.

Finished recycled glass pieces

It was a great day at Paper Craft! Two really creative ways of using and reusing our resources are being mastered there. 


Enjoy your weekend!


-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Village Art

When we finally got to Uganda (after that long bus ride), we headed to Kaihura. That's the village where Global Support Mission got its start with Faith and Bringing Hope to the Family.

 

Our most recent order on the chalk board

Working hard

One of the auxiliary programs is called Village Art which provides jobs to women in the village who can sew and weave.

Faith (third from left) and all of the ladies

RETCo. works with Village Art quite a bit! We get all of our cloth totes and drawstring bags (that come free with each RETCo. purchase) from them.

We also just created a quilt with them. Here's a sneak peak...

Have a great Monday!

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

The ExChange Fall Tour

When I first met with Travis before I started working with Red Earth Trading Co., the main thing we talked about was his idea to take Red Earth on the road. Well, the time has come!  The ExChange is our Fall tour program that will send a team of 3 people all across the US. I am really excited about bringing my expertise to something that I really believe in. So, let us know if you want to host one of our Red Earth Trading Co. parties no matter where you are in the US! 


Edwin 
Team RETCo.

Video: The time our bus broke down.

It's a 12 hour bus ride from Nairobi to Kampala. Our bus broke down for a few hours in the middle of the journey to keep things interesting! Here's a little record of our trip...



-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Video: Tribal Eye

Here's some video from our two visits with Raymond at Tribal Eye. We loved his workshop, products, and watching metal casting!



Have you guys checked out The ExChange? We announced our first ever tour today. Apply!

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Douglas, Looms, and Kikoys

One of the coolest moments I had on the trip was when we went to visit a man named Douglas.

Earlier in the week, we had found a kikoy, woven blanket, that we really liked. We took it to Douglas, who makes kikoys on a loom. We showed him the blanket to see if he could make anything similar, and he said, "I made this!" Talk about tracking products to the source! We knew immediately that we wanted to work with him.

Douglas working the loom

Not only does Douglas practice the extremely old craft of weaving on a loom, he builds looms himself! Just look at the machine- it looks extremely complicated.

The complicated loom

Each thread has to be put on by hand to set up for every kikoy. Douglas said it takes 2-3 days to prepare the loom for a new pattern.

Douglas demonstrating to the RETCo. team

While we were at the workshop, Douglas walked us through the entire process of weaving on a loom. It really gave us a whole new respect for woven products. There is a lot of hard work that goes into it.

Travis attempting to weave

Douglas explained the loom so well that Travis wanted to try it! He actually did a pretty good job.

Of course we ordered kikoys from Douglas and I am really excited to put them online! I think they will be an awesome addition- a great way to start expanding our Home Goods offerings.

Have a great week! We are back in the office and hitting the ground running on some big changes!

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Antique glass is back! Meet JaneRose.

 JaneRose, wearing a finished necklace

One of our top sellers last year was our Antique Glass Bead necklace. We sold out of them so quickly! One of the goals of this trip was to find someone that makes them and build a lasting relationship. Lucky for us, we met JaneRose. Not only does she make great necklaces, but she's as sweet as can be.

 

JaneRose getting interviewed next to our finished order

We made a big order with her that I'm sure will sell out as quickly as the last one! They should be up on the store soon after we get back- with all new color offerings!

We are so happy we met JaneRose so we can bring these gems back to RETCo. And we won't have to wait another year if we run out again!

-Kerbi

Team RETCo.

Tribal Eye

 Raymond happily working

We saw a brass cuff in the market that immediately caught our eye. The man that made it, Raymond, specializes in creating jewelry out of brass, copper and aluminum. He and his employees, collectively called Tribal Eye, cast the metal themselves, melting it down from things like padlocks.

 We watched them cast aluminum

Their workshop is located about half an hour outside of Nairobi, in a place called Karen, and it was one of the trip favorites. It was in a fairly rural location, with lots of land and chickens surrounding it. The lighting inside was really inviting and made for an inspirational workspace.

Raymond and his employees make some really impressive metal pieces. We made a big order that we  are really excited to have in the Red Earth collection- it's going to add a lot of character to our store.

Another cool thing to know about Tribal Eye is that as the business grows, Raymond plans on training up local youth to learn the craft.

RETCo. hanging with Tribal Eye

We had a lot of fun building this new relationship and look forward to what's in store for the future.

-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Video: Uhuru Park

After a long work day with a lot of walking, we decided to take it easy at the park near our hotel. It was full of natural beauty and had a great view of the Nairobi skyline. We even got a nice surprise- it had four legs and two humps on its back. A great way to end the day!



-Kerbi
Team RETCo.

Video: Gabriel's Metal Works

Gabriel and his father make jewelry out of aluminum and brass. We spent some time watching them hammer, saw, and etch necklaces and earrings that we ordered- including some brand new designs.

-Kerbi

Team RETCo.

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