Made in Africa : Fashion. love, Africa

Fashion. love, Africa designs and purchases hand knitted bags constructed from post consumer plastic bags gathered and woven by female residents living in the garbage slum of Nakuru, Kenya. Each bag is purchased directly from the woman who constructed it, allowing her a consistent source of income. Gioto Garbage slum is located northwest of Nakuru, Kenya. It is home to an estimated 140 families and 300 children whose livelihoods are literally built on top of the garbage they reside in. Nearly half of the slum’s population is HIV positive. Disease, prostitution, drug use and rape are rampant; sadly most of the victims are children. Trucks arrive daily from Nakuru to drop waste from the city into the dump where the refuse is eaten, searched through for clothing and footwear, and utilized as material for building shelter.
In addition to using the garbage for daily necessities, there is a group of women who gather, separate, clean, disinfect and cut poly bags from the trash to weave into handbags. Additionally, ten dollars of the remaining profit from each bag are set aside for the entire community to aid in projects such as relocation from the slum, child sponsorship, medical assistance and savings / loan programs.