SHOP

Giving A Hand Up, Not A Hand Out

The Emporium of Loveliness

Mama Biashara always knew we would be a hard sell to big funders. We work so close to the ground, we have no office, nothing with a banner on and tend to avoid officialdom where at all possible. For this reason, and also because it gives us a secondary purpose, in 2010 we opened the Emporium of Loveliness, in W12 Shopping Centre on Shepherds Bush Green. No, NOT Westfield. The then landlords Land Securities were persuaded to give Mama B a space for free.

Yes. Free. We are forever grateful to them for that. The Emporium has continued here even through, a year or so ago, a change of ownership to West 12 Investments. It is incredible generosity and allows us to give a boost to the income of some of the smallest tailors, soapstone carvers and jewellery makers around Nairobi. Very many of them have had their income transformed by our custom. It really doesn't take much.

And so it would really help if you popped by the shop and treated yourself to some of its loveliness. Every penny of what you pay comes back to Kenya. We simply do not have the volunteers to run any kind of online business. So, yes, you do have to come in.

We are open 12 -6.30pm Tuesday to Saturday