Zohra Baraka started Mohazo over 20 years ago and has successfully grown her company from a small-scale handicrafts distributor to an “African lifestyle brand” exporting to retailers in the United States, Japan, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom. Her success exporting handmade baskets, soap stone sculptures and wooden masks to international retailers has demonstrated that an innovative perspective on African crafts combined with the benefits of an increasingly globalized economy can lead to lucrative partnerships.
Mohazo’s products first emerge as an idea from their full time designer in Nairobi, which is then communicated to suppliers employing female and male artisans in rural villages throughout Kenya. The expertly produced wares are then packed onto containers and shipped around the world until finally they arrive on the display tables of a TJ Max in your average American suburban town.
This chain of production and distribution is a great source of pride for Zohra. Mohazo has provided a market for many rural producers offering these craftspeople (mostly women) an opportunity to envision distribution beyond their villages and, according to Zohra, “realize their potential” for success.
It was in 1994 that Mohazo had its first big breakthrough when a Japanese company placed an order for 5000 hand-woven baskets—leading Zohra to start a woman’s cooperative and employ 250 women to fill the order. Zohra continues to support this original group of women, and sends them orders as often as possible. “In the long run my vision is to have at least 1000 women on board,” Zohra proclaims. “I am a female chauvinist…I give the women priority (in regards to selecting suppliers and craftspeople) because I say, with us Africans, if a woman gets money, the whole family will eat.”
In regards to the future of Mohazo, Zohra feels that “the sky’s the limit.” Undoubtedly she will continue to expand her market, diversify her products and employ more and more women. “We want to be the best company selling handicrafts in this region…that is our vision.”
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WFCJPBZqcQ
Posted By Dara Lipton
Posted Jul 12th, 2010
6 Comments
Annika
July 13, 2010
Incredible success story! I agree with you, Dara, I think that liaison is often a necessity when doing business. It allows craftspeople to focus on creating while businesswomen cover the rest. As long as Zohra is compensating them well as you say she is, then the more jobs the better!
iain
July 16, 2010
These products look wonderful. I’m sold! But question: are we forcing women down a cul-de-sac by encouraging them to produce handicrafts – given how tough the market is? Zohra shows how it can work, but presumably she’s the exception? Interested to know what all of the 5 Vital Voices partners and Fellows think of this…
أفضل شركة مكافحة حشرات بالمدينة المنورة
February 15, 2017
يمكنك الآن التواصل مع افضل شركة مكافحة حشرات بالمدينة المنورة حتى تتمكن من التخلص من الحشرات الموجودة في منزلك بمهارة عالية
http://www.forsan-elkhaleg.com/18/Pest-control-in-Madinah
شركة جلي رخام بمكة
February 15, 2017
تواصل الآن مع شركة جلي رخام بمكة المتخصصة التي تقدمها شركة العنود حتى تتمكن من التخلص من البقع الموجودة في ارضيات منزلك
http://www.el3nod.com/2/company-jelly-ceramic-marble-cleaning-mecca
جلى رخام بمكه
March 12, 2017
من شركه الاخلاص والامانه الى جمءيع علائنا نقدم لكم شركات الجلى بمكه الذى نقوم به باعداد جميع ما تحتاجه من جلى رخام بمكه
الذى به جميع الامتيازات التى نوفرلها لكم اينما كنتم ولجميع عملائنا جميع التخفيضات باماكنياتهم الاتصال به
وايضا من تنظيف رخام مكه الذى به جميه ما تحتاجه من سائل مميزه يقوم بتنظيف على الفور
زوروا موقعنا الان : http://www.el3nod.com/1/company-tanks-isolation-cleaning-mecca