Nasha Nairuko wearing a Luke Light around her neck
SAWA SAWA Collection is a non-profit fashion brand registered in Austin, Texas and founded by Anne Drane and Catherine Wambui Ngara. As a slow, ethical, fair, and sustainable fashion line, it partners with artisan women in rural Kenya to harness skills in beading, weaving, basketry, art, and more. Through this partnership, women earn a sustainable, dignified income to provide for their families and lift themselves out of poverty. Black women founded and run, SAWA SAWA Collection creates earrings, necklaces, bracelets, accessories, shoes, clothing, sculptures, bags, and works of art that are intricately handcrafted in Kenya using traditional techniques and fair trade practices.
Beyond fashion, SAWA SAWA also runs educational programs that provide rural women with birth control information, resource contacts, and female empowerment initiatives. Based in Austin, Texas, the organization works with local Kenyan communities to bring sustainable solutions such as clean water access, nutritious food choices, healthcare, and programs aimed at eradicating poverty and dependency.
Demonstration and Distribution of the Luke Light, by Anne Drane, to the Kenyan Artisan Women
The women artisans in these villages have no access to electricity. This lack of light brings challenges that affect every part of life. Anne Drane, co-founder of SAWA SAWA, explained:
“The women have absolutely no electricity (…) so having them use solar lights will help their children get an education, the women themselves can continue beading at night and they can keep themselves safe from wild animals.”
For the women, light is more than convenience, it’s a matter of safety. The community had specifically asked for solar lights last year, after repeated incidents with wildlife. Anne Drane explains:
“One of the women had her goats and children attacked by hyenas. Jennifer, who is the head of the group, was very excited to have some lights that they can wear on their neck and walk around at sunset while bringing in the cattle so they can feel safe from the wild animals.”
While visiting the village chief’s compound, the SAWA SAWA team heard how, just two days earlier, an elephant had walked through his property. Women artisans often share similar stories of wildlife passing through their farms, eating chickens and cows, and threatening their families. In this context, having a solar light means more than simply illuminating a room in the evenings, it also provides a way to deter animals and protect both people and livestock.
Kasoe Mary with her new Luke Light
Anne Drane giving Esther Ntim a Luke Light
SAWA SAWA distributing the Luke Lights to the Kenyan community
The lights were distributed to artisan communities living closest to wildlife, all of whom had no sustainable source of lighting. After the first distribution in Maasai Mara, the change was immediately visible. Anne Drane said:
“It’s super dark out there. And for the first time, we could see the little homes and the little huts on the horizon had lights in them. We could tell from where we were staying which homes belonged to SAWA SAWA artisans. And we could see that going forward, they’re going to have lights in a place where lions and hyenas come to the door. This is not just light, it’s also a line of defense.”
This project is only the beginning. SAWA SAWA hopes to expand this effort to reach more artisan villages across Kenya, lighting entire communities in the future. With solar Luke Lights, these women are not only preserving culture and tradition through beadwork but also creating safer, brighter, and more empowered lives for their families.
At Unite to Light, we are proud to partner with SAWA SAWA in this important work. Together, we are proving that a single light can change everything.
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