Artisan Collective
In Kenya, refugees face far steeper barriers to economic self-reliance than the population around them — in one national survey, 60% of refugees were unemployed, compared to just 16% of non-refugees. (Source: UNHCR / World Bank, "How Kenya Can Create Shared Prosperity by Addressing Constraints to Refugee Self-Reliance," 2021 That gap isn't just an economic one. Among refugee and displaced women in Kenya, gender-based violence prevalence reaches nearly 64% — the highest recorded of any country studied in a recent regional review. (Source: BMC Public Health, systematic review and meta-analysis, 2024)
Research on gender-based violence among refugee women in Nairobi points to a clear driver behind that risk: economic dependence. Women without independent income are far more likely to remain in exploitative situations — including “survival relationships,” where housing, food, or safety come at the cost of abuse. (Source: PMC, “A Qualitative Exploration of Gender-Based Violence Throughout the Migration Journey Among Refugee Women in Nairobi, Kenya,” 2025)
Access to dignified and viable livelihoods is critical to preventing refugee girls from falling back into cycles of abuse and exploitation. RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective is a peer-driven social enterprise that empowers refugee women with leadership, technical, and business development skills and opportunities needed to become confident and economically independent. The collaborative arts-based curriculum allows members to express themselves creatively through the design and production of hand-dyed scarves and textiles, acquire transferable leadership and business management skills, and earn an income to support themselves and their families.
RefuSHE’s trauma-informed approach encourages artisans to continue their healing while developing the skills they need to achieve economic and social independence.
100%
OF PROCEEDS FROM EVERY PURCHASE DIRECTLY FUND REFUSHES MISSION TO PROTECT ,EDUCATE, AND EMPOWER REFUGEE GIRLS AND YOUNG WOMEN TO BUILD SAFE , INDEPENDENT AND DIGNIFIED FUTURES
Creative Expression
Every scarf tells a story. For young refugee women, RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective is a significant step in the journey toward self-confidence, independence, and a new life after war and conflict. Members learn to express themselves and solve problems creatively through the centuries-old African textile tradition of resist-dyeing, shared learning, and design experimentation. They are involved in all aspects of production, from sampling dyes, to stitching, tasseling, and finishing products. Members also gain essential production and marketing skills that serve as a foundation for their future success as entrepreneurs.
95%
OF ARTISAN COLLECTIVE MEMBERS BELEIVE THE SKILLSETS LEARNT WILL ASSIST THEM TO PURSUE EMPLOYEMNT OR START TO GROW THEIR OWN BISINESS.
Business & Leadership Skills
Just 7% of women-owned micro, small, and medium enterprises in Kenya have formal access to finance — a barrier that leaves most women-run businesses unable to grow past survival level. (Source: International Finance Corporation, “Bridging the Finance Gap for Women Entrepreneurs in Kenya,” 2024) For refugee women, that gap is compounded further by restrictions on formal banking and credit access.
RefuSHE’s business training curriculum provides RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective members with the knowledge and tools they need to create business plans, keep records, and manage capital. Members begin their training as students enrolled in the Girls Empowerment Program (GEP) before interviewing for a position in RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective. Once selected, the members assist in operating the social enterprise and represent the Artisan Collective at pop-up events, markets, and RefuSHE events, strengthening their sales, customer service, and leadership skills.
Income Generation
87% of employed women in Kenya work in the informal economy — a sector that typically offers no standard employment contracts, no social protections, and inconsistent pay. (Source: UN Women / The Borgen Project, “The Gender Wage Gap in Kenya,” 2023)
RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective members help design, create, and manage a line of unique, hand-dyed scarves and other textiles. They are paid a monthly stipend wage or piece rate, which enables members to pay their rent, feed their families, and cover household expenses. RefuSHE maintains high-profit margins to benefit program participants and ensure that all artisans are paid promptly and fairly. Our financial literacy training also helps members save their earnings and invest in launching their own successful businesses.
74%
OF ARTISAN COLLECTIVE MEMBERS ARE CONFIDENT ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO ECONOMICALLY PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES AND THEIR FAMILIES IN THE FUTURE
A Healing Community
RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective is unique in that it enables young women to achieve economic and social independence at their own pace. Most of the artisans have deep emotional and physical scars that require long-term Case Management support. Participants continue their healing within RefuSHE’s supportive environment and find community in their fellow artisans. There is also therapeutic value in creating items by hand. Members of RefuSHE’s Artisan Collective are able to work through past trauma and find comfort in repetitive, tactile practices that soothe the central nervous system.
90%
OF ARTISAN COLLECTIVE MEMBERS SAY THEY FEEL HOPEFUL ABOUT THE FUTURE