A village of impoverished women lives on Entoto Mountain in Ethiopia where they are learning the fundamentals of fair trade. 

Their strands of mixed metal beads are gorgeous statements of tenacity for these women who face illiteracy, HIV and AIDs, political instability and extreme poverty.

They are abandoned by their society and outcast along with their children to this remote area with no health care or means to make a living.

Kirsten Dickerson, co-founder of the Raven + Lily business that helps impoverished women in other countries sell handmade items, poses with women in a sewing co-op in Burundi. The co-op makes unique reversible tote bags and coffee sleeves.
Photo by Brandon Dickerson

They are joined by their sisters in other areas of Africa, India and Los Angeles. Beautiful hand-crafted pillows, scarves, handbags and stationery are created and made profitable through Raven + Lily, a program dedicated to creating sustainable economic opportunities for disadvantaged women.

Baylor graduate Kirsten Dickerson, who co-founded the program with designer and best friend Sophia Lin, returned to Waco to care for her ill mother and introduced these artistic works of women in faraway places to a few of her friends here.

It’s a connection that has spawned an exhibit at Croft Gallery, 712 Austin Ave., featuring jewelry and other pieces for sale made by artisans of Raven + Lily. The exhibit will continue through June 30 with a few larger one-of-a-kind pieces remaining on display.

“The way people can donate to the cause is by buying the products that will be available in our gallery,” said gallery owner Katie Croft. The proceeds will go to Raven + Lily. The gallery will not get a commission. For more information, visit CroftArtGallery.com.

The exhibit began with a special downtown event in May that involved other downtown partnerships.

Croft said she’s excited to work with new groups such as Common Grounds and The Livingston at Heritage Square, a boutique inn.

“These kinds of events create a cohesive downtown, and it opens the doors for future collaborations,” Croft said.

The Ethiopian connection is meaningful to Croft who, along with her husband, is adopting a child from Ethiopia.

These sachets are made from discarded silk saris.
Photo by Rod Aydelotte

“What you learn is that somehow you have to have a connection with the country when you adopt from that country,” Croft said. “I’m looking for guidance from Kirsten and Raven + Lily for creating a sustainable program in Ethiopia. 

“Kirsten helps me to understand how her programs work so I can someday create a program focusing on artwork in Ethiopia. I believe in Raven + Lily’s micro-enterprising programs and what they are doing in these countries to promote sustainable living.”

Dickerson, who grew up in Katy, Texas, is pleased to have such an interest in Raven + Lily in her college hometown. It’s here that her earliest ministry work began when she was a Baylor student. She made her first trip to India with Mission Waco. She also went to Kenya through a Baylor program. 

Dickerson met her husband Brandon, a movie director, here. They ended up in California where she was introduced to the more glamorous world of wardrobe and set design. She also saw the darker side of the impoverished in Los Angeles and in third world countries across the globe.

“I work with both the wealthy and the poor and the merging of my passions, design and helping others, all come together,” Dickerson said. “There is a reason for that connection. “It’s a perfect way to work with my friends who are so talented and connect with these women who need the outreach.”

A sampling of the products created by the African women for Raven + Lily: Baby bibs and a blanket made with bold prints and embroidered with traditional African animals
Photo by Rod Aydelotte

The program is inspired by the Sermon on the Mount as described in Luke 12: 

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. Life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest? Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.” 

“Behind the scenes, we are motivated by our faith,” Dickerson said. 

Intent on undergirding grass roots efforts in Africa and India where educated citizens have chosen to stay and serve in the slums, Raven + Lily partners with local leaders.

“The women have no voice or education. They are the poorest of the poor,” Dickerson said. With many destined to be “ragpickers” to sustain their families, these women are taught artisan skills to replace having to scavenge through trash bins for recyclables to sell.

“I believe if these women have dignity, they will change their destiny,” Dickerson said. “We are experimenting with taking the idea of fair trade and paying workers directly the expected wage for a seamstress or artisan in their country. The wage should be what is enough to break the cycle of poverty.”

Seeking out naturally gifted artisans and giving them ownership of their creations empowers them, she said. The women’s jobs are organized in tiers based on skill levels.

“I can’t solve the problems of sweat shops and slavery and child labor, but I can make a difference in the lives of these women,” Dickerson said. “Most of them have never felt valued. When we partner with them, it tells them we value them and the skills they have.”

A sampling of the products created by the African women for Raven + Lily: A hand-woven cotton embellished table runner with hand-embroidered bronze vines and leaves.
Photo by Rod Aydelotte

Repurposed materials include used silk saris for sachets and blankets, and handmade materials from a leprosy colony. Each piece of art from Raven + Lily artisans is a nod to the culture of the women who made it.

“From the ground up, we know the story behind these products,” Dickerson said. 

As profits from the sale of Raven + Lily merchandise flow back to the villages from which they came, lives are changed. 

“We care for them and their struggles and want to provide health care and literacy education for their children and ultimately microloans for them to start their own businesses,” Dickerson said. “These women can know they made a difference to provide these services in their own communities. The products also help to fund training programs and not just the materials and wages.”

The program also builds confidence. Ethiopian women were asked to send some of their indigenous handicrafts for Dickerson’s California designer friends, who came up with designs that would appeal to a Western market. 

On a return trip, Dickerson’s husband asked the women to model the pieces for a photo. 

“The women were very excited. These women now have a purpose,” she said. “We have high quality standards. When they are pushed to increase their value and quality, they are very proud.” 

Cashmere stoles made by women in Tibet will likely be placed in high-end boutiques.

“They have amazing skills, and we’re trying to make good decisions now so we can discover the markets to sell their products,” Dickerson said.

Trunk shows displaying a sampling of Raven + Lily products are another way that would-be customers can see, touch and purchase items.

Kirsten Dickerson meets women of the Maasai tribe, who suffer from drought and poverty in rural Kenya. Dickerson sells their traditional beaded jewelry to enable them to provide for basic needs.
Photo by Brandon Dickerson

“It’s also about educating women here about how they can help other women in a tangible way,” Dickerson said. “We believe every woman is valuable and this is a way to redistribute the wealth into the impoverished areas of the world.”

Local interest is evident as Baylor students ask about internships with the program in Los Angeles. Also, one group of students used Raven + Lily as its marketing project. 

“Waco has been so supportive in what Raven + Lily is doing,” Dickerson said.

For example, Common Grounds hosted a trunk show with Raven + Lily products.

“Kirsten is a good friend of mine from college, and it’s been really special that she’s been in town the last few months,” said Jill Mashburn, Common Grounds owner. “I’ve been able to work closely with her for Raven + Lily. It’s really made me think about consumerism and products and where those products come from. Behind every piece there’s a story, there’s a woman, someone who has struggled with the effects of poverty and the issues related to that.”

A sampling of the products created by the African women for Raven + Lily: Metallic leather turned into bold earrings.
Photo by Rod Aydelotte

By participating in the special downtown event and hosting a trunk show, Mashburn said she hopes to expose more people to Raven + Lily.

Raven + Lily products also are available at Roots Boutique at 2515 Columbus Ave. Visit RootsBoutique.com.

Products also are available online. Supporters can join the $1 a Day Family to support the program. For more information, visit RavenandLily.com.