a fair trade modern home decor collection for Azizi Life
Shop the Entire Collection
Featuring a highly curated selection of contemporary products – all made in rural Rwanda!
L O C A L
loh-kuh l adjective: pertaining to a city, town, or small district rather than an entire state or country
L E J O S
le-hohs adverb: pertaining to a place that is far away; far in the distance
Woven Bowls
Woven sisal bowls are a traditional craft for Rwandan artisans. For some Local + Lejos Collection bowls, we’ve taken some of Rwandan designs, handed down from generation to generation, and added a modern twist through color. For others, we’ve added our own modern pattern, still honoring the bowl weaving skill and craft.
About The Designer
Meet Sheeva Sairafi
Local + Lejos is the design child of Sheeva Sairafi. Growing up in a diverse household, Sheeva was born with an innate curiosity about other cultures.
“On my first trip to Iran as a child, I’ll never forget being mesmerized by the beautifully woven carpets and handcrafted gold jewelry in the bazaar. Throughout my travels, befriending talented artisans has always been the most rewarding experience.”
The Local + Lejos Collection is an effort for Sheeva to preserve what makes this world such a beautiful, unique place and help impact the lives of those who craft. We hope that you are reminded of the help you have given every time you see an L+L piece in your home.
About The Artisans
Designed For Impact
Women of the Abizeranye Cooperative with their Local + Lejos Collection creations.
More than 4554 stitches are hand woven into every medium bowl. And with every stitch, the artisan had her family in mind. With her fair wage income, she provides for the wellbeing of her household in the Rwandan countryside. Nourishment, health, education, and dreams for a bright future- each basket holds much love.
About The Product
Using Local + Sustainable Materials
There’s something special about seeing the raw ingredients of Local + Lejos Collection hand-made sisal bowls—you can really appreciate how each element forms the unique beauty of every hand-made bowl.
STEP 1: Elephant grass is an abundant natural fiber in Rwanda which derives its name from being a favorite food and hiding place for elephants (that’s how tall it can get!). Rugged enough to hide an elephant, this sturdy grass ends up on the inside of our bowls, making each piece strong enough to hold anything you throw its way.
STEP 2: Sisal is an incredibly versatile element in the bowl production process and is used to wrap around the elephant grass and weave the bowl. Sisal fibers come from the agave plant—a machete is used to cut and peel back the outer green skin of the plant, revealing beautiful, thin white fibers.
STEP 3: The sisal fibers are then either left in their raw state or dyed various shades of brown (light, medium, dark) with tea depending on which color combinations we’re going for.
STEP 4: Our Local + Lejos Collection bowls are designed with minimal simplicity in mind but then woven using beautiful, delicate techniques by our artisans. It’s why each bowl ends up having its own character, story, and intention—ready for you to chose the perfect bowl from afar to find its perfect home with you.
As Seen In
A Better Homes & Gardens
“Woven sisal bows ($25-$85) made in Rwanda that Sheeva designs to play off traditional Rwandan patterns.
Many women working with Sheeva and Azizi Life are their family’s breadwinner. Rather than pay them for each individual item sold (as is usual), they buy upfront, giving women steady incomes whether or not their work sells. Azizi Life then reinvests profits in training programs requested by weavers, like dyeing and English classes.”
Better Homes & Gardens
MyDomaine
“Local and Lejos is a collection that brings artisanal goods from the world over, right to the palm of your hand. Keep up to date with their latest community partnership where they give back proceeds from purchases, and in turn, provide shoppers with unique handmade goods. I enjoy learning of crafts I would otherwise have to travel the world to uncover, no passport needed.”
MyDomaine
Elle Decor
“In honor of Earth Day 2019, these are the sustainable brands we’re shopping: Local + Lejos is a modern home decor collection that sources products from around the globe while supporting the artisans who hand-craft each piece. Their products—like this sisal and elephant grass tea-dyed bowl—are dyed with non-toxic methods, and crafted out of eco-friendly materials.”
Elle Decor
The Zoe Report
“As founder and CEO of ethical decor collection Local + Lejos, Sheeva Sairafi is someone whose mind is squarely on shopping more sustainably, which starts with examining what something is made of and how it’s made. Handcrafted in Rwanda by the Abizeranye Cooperative, these beautiful woven bowls are made of 100 percent sisal dyed naturally with tea.”
The Zoe Report
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Our Artisan Partners
We partner with 760+ skilled Rwandan artisans, connecting local crafting cooperatives to global markets.
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Our Products
Ethically sourced, handcrafted home decor and accessories made from local, natural, and renewable materials
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Our Mission
A fair-trade non-profit creating economic opportunities and supporting community impact initiatives in Rwanda.
