This is the first blog which will be focusing on the story behind the formation of Kijiji Republic.

 

My wife and I were shopping at the "Friday Market" in Nairobi for some unique Kenyan handmade jewelry and clothing. We scouted the entire market and every stand had some unique and beautiful jewelry, hand curving or some Kenyan apparel.

 

Once we were done with the shopping we began to reminisce over a cup of coffee at the Nairobi Java House. The “Friday market” got its name since it operated only Fridays at a specific place in the city where tourists were able to come and buy souvenirs. We concluded that some of the people were only able to come to sell their products only on Fridays and at the market and their sales proceeds do not enable them meet their daily needs. We therefore decided that it would be a great idea to try and help out by sourcing the products and selling to the US and Canadian markets.

 

We therefore thought of a name that would be unique and be representative of the African continent. That is why we came up with the name “Kijiji Republic”. “Kijiji” is a Swahili word that means village. Since each country in Africa has a village “Kijiji” would therefore suffice. “Republic” was to signify independence. In Africa, every village is rich and diverse in culture as well as skills. The villagers express themselves in various forms of songs and dances, as well as a variety of art. The richness therefore allows the artisans to showcase their cultures, skills and thoughts through various forms of arts and crafts.

 

While there are many places where one can buy arts and crafts that are handmade, no one gets to think of the small scale micro enterprise artisan who is not in a co-operative. The individual mother or father who has to sell his/her wares in order to pay fees; feed the family; needs finances for medical needs and has only one day to sell his/her wares. The artisan who believes that as a sole entrepreneur can also get out of poverty and meet daily family needs. This is where kijiji Republic comes in to fill the gap. We purchase the products from the seller at a price set by the seller. We ensure that they are of high quality and can be sold to a future customer. This is what makes as different form the rest of the crowd.

 

 African is known to be the cradle of mankind. With this come diverse and rich cultures of art. While there are other artisans around the world, we focused on Africa because we want to restore the glory of Africa. Africa is a continent rich with all sorts of wealth, however it continue to be hardest hit will poverty, diseaseses, political unrests and low levels of education.

 

Kijiji Republic will therefore endeavor to meet its mission and vision to help the African people.

 

We strive to Give hope, change lives and build bright futures.

 

Do you want to be part of Kijiji Republic?