Ugandan Merchandise Launches Ugme: A Creative New Website for East African Goods
By Rebecca Harshbarger–
This week, Ugandan Merchandise created a new platform to showcase its East African goods, which range from home decor to baskets, accessories, jewelry, and other homemade crafts. East African businesswomen Harriet Zaffoni and Mary Agaba launched their new website Ugme on Wednesday, which features colorful descriptions of Uganda and the reasons why Ugme supports women living back home. You can find the website at www.ugme.net.
This picture of banana fiber will bring back strong memories for Ugandans living abroad, as well as their friends.
“I’m very excited about the new and improved website,” said Harriet Zaffoni, who founded Ugandan Merchandise. ”It is simple yet elegant, just like the beautiful products it showcases. The new UGME website straddles geography, generations and experiences.”
The merchandise is made out of products unique to Uganda– papyrus, local Ugandan grass, banana fiber, the bark of the mutuba tree, and 19th century vintage fabric. The products are made in village huts, primarily by women.
Ugandan Merchandise launched a new website at www.ugme.net.
Ugme also features products from Rwandan artisans and basket weavers, with the proceeds benefitting women living with HIV that have suffered from gender-based volence, particularly in the Rwandan genocide. Ugandan Merchandise decided to embrace Rwandan products on the idea that all boats will fly higher when sailing together, according to the founders.
Zaffoni and Agaba write on the website that “our super-talented basket weavers are HIV-positive. They’re also powerful, and resigned to nothing. Instead, they’re committed to a future in which there is full-awareness and widespread in place for HIV/AIDS in Rwanda and the rest of East Africa.” A 100 percent of the proceeds go towards the women to help them pay for lodging, food, clothing and other necessities for their families.
Art and crafts are part of both Ugandan and Rwandan culture, and come out of the two countries’ rich traditions, passed down generationally from one artisan to the next.
Since 2004, those working in the craft sector and the Uganda Export Promotion Board have been working on Uganda’s strategy to export crafts, as a non-traditional export.
Ugandan Merchandise sells kikoi scarves and bags, among other products.
The board says that craft-making in Uganda’s rural and urban economies, the sector is an important source of money for women, youth, refugees, and people living with disabilities.
Ugandans living abroad also might appreciate the chance to purchase spices and other flavors that remind them of home. Ugandan Merchandise sells curry powder, pilau masala rice spice, royco stew spice, and tea masala spice, imported from Uganda.
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