Kathy Marshal founded Sabahar in 2004 and started hiring 3 staff members, the purpose: to create sustainable employment in Ethiopia by becoming and expert in high quality silk and cotton products. The team now works with about 200 households and sells globally, providing reliable jobs and security to its workers while sharing the beauty of handmade Ethiopian textile traditions. Sabahar PLC is guided by 3 core values: sustainability, innovation and caring for each other. They are members of the World Fair Trade Organization, and ensure their position of being a platform for artisans to reach the global market and building a reliable source of work and income. The products are thought to fit with market needs, that is why mixing design innovation and traditions is a main component of Sabahar’s activities. This has made them champions in the industry, everything is handmade throughout the process (from weaving, to color dying and fabricating the silk) and use locally sourced materials.

Over the 15 years Sabahar PLC has been operating, Kathy Marshal states “the most important factor at Sabahar has been the people”, which shows the importance of caring for each other. The company is a real example of a strong and established social enterprise, and we are delighted to have them as members of our community at Trade+Impact. You can check out their latest products and stories here and find out more about Sabahar’s inspiring story.