(Our mission to support women residing in refugee camps around the world comes, in part, from Amber Chand 's own personal experience as a refugee who had to flee her country during Idi Amin's reign of terror in Uganda in 1972.)

In launching the Darfur Basket of Strength as the first product coming out of an IDP (internally displaced) camp in Darfur, Sudan, we hope to support these skilled basketweavers who are sitting idle in the camps, distraught by the terrifying circumstances of their impoverished lives, and experiencing the hopelessness that comes when one feels that no one cares. Through this initiative, we hope that our customers will feel a deeper sense of connection to what is happening in Darfur and the capacity to directly impact the lives of these women by purchasing a beautiful handmade basket.

It is with a sense of deep privilege that we launch the Darfur Basket of Strength, this striking lidded traditional basket made of tightly woven palm grass, that comes to you from the sprawling, dusty refugee camp at Kalma, one of the largest in Southern Darfur. Each basket is uniquely designed in bold geometric patterns and is skillfully created by a group of weavers who gather at a Women's Center in the heart of the camp, now home to 90,000 internally displaced people. Here it is that the women come to share the stories of their personal anguish as they weave these beautiful baskets - each a testament of their hopes and dreams!

The Darfur Basket of Strength is a collaborative initiative that we have embarked upon with the
Crafts Center at CHF International (www.chfinternational.org), a humanitarian organization with field operations in Darfur. By highlighting the spirit of enterprise as a path to healing, we intend to offer these talented women the opportunity to create their livelihood based on a sense of dignity and self-worth ,whilst supporting themselves and their families in extremely harsh conditions, considered to be one of the worst humanitarian crises in this century.

It has taken us many months to work on the complex logistics of this project - from mobilizing the women in the Kalma Camp to overseeing the basket production and then to transporting high quality baskets out of the camps and shipping them out to the United States. This would not have been possible without the enduring support and committment of CHF International's field staff in Darfur. At this time, as we take the first steps on this complex journey, we are able to receive a limited number of baskets that are air freighted to us on a regular basis. Over time, and with the support of our customers, we expect to place larger orders with the basketweavers and thereby create a meaningful and dignfied livelihood for them.

(Photos courtesy of CHF International)