Sabahar

Ethiopia

Sabahar is a fair trade enterprise that celebrates Ethiopia’s age-old textile traditions, combining handspinning and hand-weaving with contemporary design and craftsmanship. Some women spin silk and cotton at Sabahar’s workshop while others spin at home, enabling them to work around the needs of the children and household.

Based on a philosophy of indigenous simplicity and purity, Sabahar uses only Ethiopian sourced cotton and is contributing to the growth of the local silk sector by buying cocoons from rural farmers and small women’s cooperatives that raise silk worms to supplement their incomes. All Sabahar fibers are hand-dyed, using certified environmentally-friendly dyes, with most of the silk products gaining their rich color from local plants and herbs.

Sabahar currently employs 50 people at its workshop in Addis Ababa and engages another 100 artisans who spin and weave in their own homes or in cooperatives around the city. Artisans attend trainings regularly, both to build their capacity in their respective areas of specialization but also to help them better manage their finances, their health and homes.

Artisan Voices

"I am so happy to work at Sabahar. I cannot express how thankful I am. Sabahar picked me up from the dirt and made me someone. I can now take care of my children and my house. All of this is thanks to Sabahar."
— Enanu