Azizi is a Swahili word that means precious or treasured, and it is Azizi Life’s belief that every person’s life is Azizi.
Azizi Life is a fair trade organization dedicated to partnering with skilled Rwandan artisans in their vision to lift their families from poverty. Working since 2008, they have now cultivated partnerships with more than 700 artisans. Azizi Life serves as a bridge, linking artisans, designers, and global customers to offer high-quality, ethically sourced goods for life and gifting. Their fair-trade impact goes beyond livable wages to include resources for growth and investment in their Rwandan-led community impact projects.
Purpose
As a member of the Fair Trade Federation, Azizi Life is committed to long-term, loving relationships, ethical practices, and fair wages. With their fair trade income, parents are caring for the health, nutrition, and education of their children. By the work of their hands, women are becoming financial contributors in their families and leaders in their communities. Azizi Life is honored to share in the artisans’ vision for a better future.
Azizi Life’s unique model centers on a local leadership team in Rwanda, running a family of social enterprises working with artisans, beekeepers, and cultural experience hostesses. These businesses donate at least 20% of profits annually to their local nonprofit organization, Azizi Life Impact.
Their nonprofit work also includes literacy classes for adults. Since 2017, over 3500 people from rural communities and from the local prison have learned to read and write, bringing inspiring change to their lives, their families and their communities.
People
Azizi Life partners with groups of rural artisans who are working to bring hope to their families through skillfully handcrafted goods. Rising from the horrors of genocide, artisans from all backgrounds have joined together once again through their craft. Each artisan cooperative specializes in hand crafting products using specific techniques and raw materials.
Azizi Life admires their artisan partners’ skill, resilience, and determination to work for a better and more beautiful future.
Planet
Azizi Life’s artisan partners use natural, renewable materials which are locally harvested and then turned into crafting materials by the artisans or their neighbors. Their team in Rwanda has chosen regionally-sourced dyes which have been tested for environmental safety.
Their local nonprofit, Azizi Life Impact, has a Renewable Resources program, which offers solar lamps, fuel-efficient stoves and water filters to the artisans and their communities with a revolving loan system. These resources not only have health and lifestyle benefits but also reduce harmful impact on the environment.
Azizi Life has a goal to power their Rwandan campus with 100% solar energy.
