A trip to her husband’s home country, Ghana, inspired Kelly Boateng to launch their business Adinkra Designs a little over a year ago.
She loved the beautiful fabrics, handmade art and craft and fresh produce, and was struck by the bright, vibrant colours that can be found at Ghana’s markets.
“It was unforgettable, catching up with family and introducing our children to a new culture, their heritage,” she says.
“They embraced it with open arms, leaving technology at home, getting in touch with nature, making new friends and trying new cuisine. It was an amazing adventure to say the least and one that we hope to repeat often.
“We really wanted to take a part of Ghana home with us and inspire others to explore this wonderful part of the world and so the idea for Adinkra Designs was born.”
Adinkra is a set of symbols used in Ghanaian culture to encapsulate traditional wisdoms and are ingrained in Ghanaian history―they are everywhere in fabric, architectural design, wood carvings, jewellery, etc.
“As Adinkra symbols are an iconic part of Ghanaian heritage, we thought it was an ideal fit for our business as it reflects our why, our reason for establishing Adinkra Designs in the first place.”
The sustainable, eco-friendly and ethical company sells totes, handbags, home décor, and kids and baby décor, and each piece they sell has a story to tell.
Profits are donated to African Youth Initiative Centres, a charity that sets up youth services in Ghana, West Africa and in Sydney, Australia. The centres provide educational support for disadvantaged young children.
“We believe in a combined philosophy of trade and aid. We work directly with artisans to ensure fair work and fair pay practices and we also feel strongly that children are our future and should also be our focus, so for this reason we contribute part of our profits towards education and clothing for children in great need.”
