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This is how it all started. In the year 2001, I visited my friend Sajida Mamdani in Albany, New York. Sajida who was born in Zanzibar, Tanzania moved to Albany, New York 30 years ago and lives there with her family. She had been a housewife for many years.

It was when I visited her in 2001 when she expressed her wish to do something for the people back home,and that is when we discussed my ideas of wanting to help crafters from Africa. This is an experience that touched my heart and which influenced me for years to market crafts overseas.

I had the chance to visit so many African countries and this is one of the things that really touched my heart and inspired me to help these people. Many years ago, I was in Zimbabwe on an official visit and I was taken to visit the outskirts of Harare where hundreds of crafters sit by the roadside, waiting for a buyer to come to their rescue. This practice is found in most African countries.