Supporting Artisans in Kenya with SOKO
Shop SOKO's ethical jewelry and use our exclusive discount code "DRESSEMBER20" for 20% off your purchase!
Did you know that when shopping at Madewell, Anthropologie, Reformation, or Marine Layer, you could be supporting independent artisans and a certified B Corp?
Since 2015, SOKO, a women-led, people-first ethical jewelry brand that connects marginalized artisans in Kenya to the global marketplace using mobile technology partners with retailers like the ones above to sell their products. SOKO connects more than 2300 independent and distributed artisans, creating an efficient and demand-responsive "virtual factory." Unlike centralized factory production, SOKO uses technology to enable the human workforce to make a meaningful impact and lasting change.
The artisan craft sector is the second-largest employer in the developing world, yet it is also among the most marginalized. When limited to local sales, talented artisans are stuck in micro-economies where they cannot earn enough to support their families. SOKO wants to solve the artisan craft sector's enormous problem by supporting Kenya's robust artisan economy. To do this, SOKO created a "virtual factory," a proprietary mobile application developed to connect the artisan network. The virtual factory uses mobile phones to connect independent artisan entrepreneurs directly to the SOKO team and global customers, allowing artisans to receive orders and payments. This solution standardizes manufacturing in an informal environment and provides artisan leaders with tools and resources to scale, preserve and improve heritage techniques.
The results of this innovative approach to sustainable production are staggering.
Artisans working for SOKO earn about 5x more than the average artisan worker. There are over 11,400 beneficiaries of this work, and artisan income has increased about 12% since starting. SOKO also powers micro-financing for artisans to invest in equipment and infrastructure, so each artisan can continue to produce the best quality products.
As a B-Corp, SOKO maintains an end-to-end sustainable supply chain that conserves the environment and does not deplete resources. SOKO aims to balance waste, overburden, and unevenness for a production process that is streamlined, efficient, and responsible.
SOKO also promotes health and safety initiatives for their artisans and their community. In the past year, SOKO sought to gauge the current medical situation in their community with a medical camp that screened community health across five categories (ear, nose, and throat; dental; nutrition; eye checkup; and diabetes).
Through a mentorship program designed to retain and support women in the organization ("Leaders in Heels") and an Artisan Benefits Program, SOKO continues to place the artisans as people at the center of everything they do.
SOKO's mission of creating something beautiful in a system that is also beautiful maps closely with Dressember's belief that fashion should empower, not exploit. We believe that all workers should be able to maintain their dignity and feel licensed through their work. Our Ethical Fashion Directory connects people with brands and products they can feel good about within their price range. When you check out the Ethical Fashion Directory, you'll see brands like SOKO that are making an impact by placing artisans and sustainable practices at the center of what they do. You might start to notice some of the brands from our Directory the next time you're in one of your favorite retail stores. By thoughtfully considering how we spend our money and choosing to do so on brands we know value their workers, we can begin to create a change towards fashion that empowers rather than exploits.
Click here to shop SOKO's ethical jewelry and use our exclusive discount code "DRESSEMBER20" for 20% off your purchase!
About the Author
Miranda Cecil is a second-year at Northeastern University School of Law. She graduated from the University of North Carolina in 2020 (go heels!) and shipped up to Boston. As a North Carolina transplant in New England, she loves exploring her new area on the weekends. In her free time, she enjoys cross-stitching, cycling, and reading. She hopes to use her legal degree and a passion for urban development to continue advocating for human trafficking survivors (and, despite the Boston winter, looks forward to the style challenge this December).