The Little Art Shop That Could

I bring it with me as a reminder.

My bag in a small woman-owned shop by the equator in Kenya. 

It’s a reminder of the women who have inspired. The women who take their little and stretch it to improve their lives, the lives of their families, and to change their communities. My Kenyan sisters.

It has been five years since our family traveled to Kenya. (The pandemic derailed plans to return, but hopefully, that will change soon.) I still hear the women’s songs echo on the breeze. I carry their letters in my Bible. I wear bracelets they literally forced on my wrist and earrings they took out of their ears to give me. To say I carry Kenya in my heart is an understatement.

I carry the bag into the shop to remind me of one of my whys. Part of the proceeds from the little shop will support women’s microfinance opportunities in rural Kenya. My little shop will come alongside my Kenyan sisters as they step out with an entrepreneurial spirit to help support their families. Women make jewelry, raise goats (to sell the offspring and the milk), raise chickens, start soap-making businesses, bake bread, open small farm stands, and even have lending programs.

Kidogo (pronounced key-doe-go) means “little” in Swahili. I say it a lot, well, partially because it’s just a fun word to say, but also because it reminds me to do my little. My little goes a long way in the Kingdom economy. Kidogo Art Shop will be the little art shop that could help fund women’s projects, and someday, I believe it will help fund the writing career that will allow me to share the stories of our Kenyan sisters. Imagine when She’s Got A Story goes international!

If you haven’t seen our Kenya video (or just want to watch it again), here it is —

Continue to support Kidogo Art Shop in person and online. (The online shop will be growing as we get closer to the holidays.) You’ll want to subscribe to my newsletter to learn more about upcoming sales, events, and ways you can support women in Kenya.