A Sale That Means More Than Numbers: How Inua Wazee Is Turning Craft into Dignified Livelihoods
Some moments remind you that impact is not abstract — it is personal, practical, and deeply human.
Today, Ethel Foundation for the Aged reached a major milestone: we completed our single largest sale of 2026 so far through the Inua Wazee Program, with the sale of handwoven baskets made by older persons in our communities. The purchase was made by DiCoBruMa, and just as meaningful as the sale itself was the opportunity to meet, engage, and share the story behind the work.
Inua Wazee: Economic Empowerment, Not Charity
Inua Wazee was designed with a clear philosophy — older persons do not need sympathy; they need opportunity.
Across Kenya, many older persons possess skills built over a lifetime: weaving, craftsmanship, discipline, and resilience. What is often missing is not ability, but access to markets. Inua Wazee bridges this gap by organizing production, assuring quality, and connecting older artisans to consistent buyers.
Each basket sold represents:
- A dignified source of income
- Greater household stability
- Improved access to healthcare and daily necessities
- Renewed purpose and social inclusion in later life
This is what economic empowerment looks like at the community level.
Why This Sale Matters
This sale is significant not because of volume alone, but because of what it enables. For participating older persons, it means being paid fairly for their work and being recognized as contributors to the economy rather than dependents within it.
For Ethel Foundation for the Aged, it validates our belief that ageing interventions must move beyond welfare and toward sustainable livelihood systems that can scale.
For partners like DiCoBruMa, it demonstrates how procurement decisions can be leveraged as tools for social good — aligning quality products with meaningful community impact.
The Value to Partners and Institutions
Organizations are increasingly looking for ways to align their purchasing with their values. Inua Wazee offers:
- Ethically sourced, locally made products
- Authentic corporate and institutional gifting options
- Direct, traceable impact on older persons’ livelihoods
- A partnership model grounded in dignity, not dependency
When a company chooses to buy from older artisans, the return is both tangible and social — a quality product and a strengthened local economy.
Looking Ahead
This milestone is not an endpoint. It is a signal that dignified ageing is possible when systems work — when skills are valued, markets are accessible, and partnerships are intentional.
At Ethel Foundation for the Aged, we remain committed to building economic pathways that allow older persons to live with independence, respect, and purpose.
We welcome organizations, institutions, and individuals who believe that dignity is sustained through opportunity to walk this journey with us.
Because when older persons thrive, communities do too.
