Turkey suffered a strong earthquake in early 2023. The devastation is not over, and people are still suffering from a lack of food, water, and housing. Including all of Obakki's 100 artisan partners in this region. ALL profits from the sale of our Turkish Linen products are being returned to our artisan community to help them rebuild their textile industry. We've taken tangible actions to help these artisans get back on their feet—from funding container houses that provide emergency shelter, to food security and relocation services.

In the Kibera slums, the reality is that not all children have the privilege of attending school due to lack of financial resources. When we started working with artisans in this region of Nairobi, we knew that we needed to do more for the community. This year we connected with local families and enrolled 60 children in school full-time, paying for their school fees, uniforms, and nutritional needs.

Living high in the Rwenzori Mountains, the weavers in Kikorongo have not had access to clean water. This year, we worked to bring them 6 gravity-fed clean water systems to improve the health conditions in the community. With incredibly challenging terrain, the community is also cut off from medical services, which is why we are now committed to establishing a mobile health clinic equipped with trained midwives.

We educate and train our local partners in Uganda to cultivate and extract shea butter for their local markets as well as our skincare products. Our programs ensure that the shea trees are protected rather than cut down for other uses to preserve and protect the surrounding environment. By offering training in income-generating skills, such as shea butter processing and natural oil extraction, we’re investing in the transformation of entire communities.