Adinkra Designs
- Written by Candice Meisels
An Australian family have created an award-winning family business to help people in Africa.
Gorgeous, sustainable, eco-friendly and ethically made homewares, nursery decor, bags, totes and dolls.
Australia, 20th August, Kelly and Kelvin Boateng and their young family visited Kevin's homeland, Ghana, West Africa.Kelly has been nominated as a finalist for the AusMumpreneur Awards, Making a Difference award for their business Adinkra Designs
Kelly says: " It was unforgettable, catching up with family and introducing our children to a new culture, their heritage. They embraced it with open arms, leaving technology at home, getting in touch with nature, making new friends and trying new cuisine! It was an amazing adventure to say the least and one that we hope to repeat often. "
Kelly was struck by the bright, vibrant colours that can be found in Ghana's markets. She loved the beautiful fabrics, handmade art and craft and fresh produce.
Kelly adds: " We really wanted to take a part of Ghana home with us and inspire others to explore this wonderful part of the world and so the idea for Adinkra Designs was born. "
"Adinkra are a set of symbols used in Ghanaian culture to encapsulate traditional wisdoms and are ingrained in Ghanaian history, they are everywhere in fabric, architectural design, wood carvings, jewellery etc. As Adinkra symbols are an iconic part of Ghanaian heritage, we thought it was an ideal fit for our business as it reflects our why, our reason for establishing Adinkra Designs in the first place…"
"We believe in a combined philosophy of trade and aid. We work direct with artisans to ensure fair work and fair pay practices and we also feel strongly that children are our future and should also be our focus, so for this reason we contribute part of our profits towards education and clothing for children in great need. "
Kelly and her husband import most of their gorgeous products from Ghana. They work with local artisans on unique designs. They are ensured that they are paid a fair price for their work. Each piece they sell has a story to tell.
Adinkra Designs sells totes, handbags, home decor and kids and baby decor.
Adinkra also sells: Dolls for a Cause
Profits are donated to African Youth Initiative Centres, a charity that sets up youth services in Ghana, West Africa and in Sydney, Australia. The centres provide educational support for disadvantaged young children.”
Kelly concludes:
"I feel so honoured to be a finalist in the Ausmumpreneur Awards. We began our business just a little over a year ago and to see the love and support shown for our products makes us feel so proud of our team of weavers in Ghana and the incredible amount of work and skill they put into each basket. We are happy for the positive growth and contribution this has meant for the communities we support in Ghana. To now have the opportunity to win an Ausmumpreneur Award is great recognition of the work we have done, and is truly humbling. Being a finalist is also great validation that we are on the right path and that we can combine a sustainable business model with a positive social conscience to truly make a difference."
https://adinkradesigns.com.au/
