Who are the artisans?
The Chifundo Artisans Network is based in Balaka, Malawi, where Bola Moyo works. Tamara Hudson, native to Beaverton, Oregon, was sent to this community as a Crisis Corps volunteer (after serving with Peace Corps in Madagascar) to help what was then a failing soap business. Realising that soap wasn't the best product to be making in such a hot region, Tamara began looking around for local resources for new products. She only had to look next door to the Montfort Media, a print and publishing group, that had plenty of paper scraps.
Over the last four years, Tamara has helped build Chifundo into a high quality papermaking, painting, and textile studio which trains local peoples and provides much needed and coveted jobs. The Chifundo Artisan's Network employs nearly 40 people in the community and reinvests it's profits into local creative development projects. It also helps the environment by recycling materials that otherwise wouldn't be used.
To learn more about this group, or to buy their product in large quantities, visit their site at www.chifundoartisansnetwork.com
All online prices include standard shipping.
Please Note: Due to the nature of these handmade products and our limited inventory, we cannot guarantee that you will receive a specific design or color palate for the particular product you choose. If you would like to browse our products in person, check our events page for upcoming places we may be tabling, or simply contact us.
We process and ship your order within 2 business days. If you need a rush shipment, please contact us via phone.
Hand-Painted Cards
(Size with envelope: 6"x4.5")
$3.75 a piece
These cards and envelopes are handmade from recycled paper and crafted by local Malawian artisans into richly textured and embellished stationery. The paintings are created on small cloth squares using an array of designs, colors and techniques. No two cards are alike!
Pressed Floral Cards
(Size with envelope: 6"x4.5")
$3.75 a piece
Our pressed floral cards and envelopes are made on the same high quality paper, and are decorated with red, fuchsia, and/or green leaves and flowers local to Malawi. These beautiful cards are perfect for anniversaries or any other occasion to say, "I love you."
Small Hand-Painted Bag Set
(Size with envelope: 3.75"x3.75")
$14.00
You won't find a more adorably packaged set of stationery! This set of 5 notecards (hand-painted with varying designs) and envelopes come in an original hand-painted, hand-sewn bag, tied with jute. Bag designs vary, but all follow abstract motifs. Makes a great gift for a friend, or yourself!
Modern Watercolor Set
(Size with envelope: 6"x4.5")
$16.50
SOLD OUT! This set features 5 modern cards of the same design, each hand-painted with watercolors. Styles range from drawings of African women, Malawi's famous Chambo fish, elephants, and other abstract geometric designs. These make particularly good gifts for that niece or granddaughter you don't know how to buy for.
Small Boxed Set
(Size with envelope: 3.75"x3.75")
$16.50
Handmade from recycled paper, this square decorative box holds 5 hand-painted notecards and envelopes. Each card is uniquely painted and colors and designs vary. After you use the cards, keep the box to hold small items on your desk or your bedside table, or simply use it to pass along another gift inside.
Large Boxed Set
(Size with envelope: 6"x4.5")
$20.00
This is the largest of all the stationery sets, with 5 hand-painted cards of the same design (as on the specific box's cover.) These sets have a natural feel about them, as most of the paintings draw from earthy shades of tan and brown. This gift isn't gone when the stationary is. Use the box to hold knick-knacks or old letters, or anything else you can think of.
Handmade Dolls
$36
These adorable dolls are handmade in Balaka, Malawi as an income- generating project for a group of women there. Get one today for an early Christmas present for a loved one!
