On our pages you will see the words 25+ women supported. It is one of the few numbers we publish. So it is worth saying what it covers and what it leaves out.
What the number says
Mikono Creations was founded in 2019 in Nairobi. Today the business supports 25+ women through its work. The plus sign means at least that many. We use it in place of an exact count.
A plus sign says at least. It keeps the line true if the real count is a little higher. We would rather undersell than overstate.
The work is crochet. Each animal in the shop is made by hand, with a hook and yarn, in Nairobi. For the women Mikono supports, this work is income for them and their families.
Supported is a plain word on purpose. It says the work helps these women earn. It does not say we rescued anyone, and it does not say we changed a life.
What the number leaves out
A number cannot tell you everything. It is a count, and behind it are individual women, each with her own skills. Here is what we have not published, and we would rather say so than guess:
- What each woman is paid.
- How many hours she works.
- Who does which part of the making.
- How long each woman has worked with us.
We are not hiding anything. The details are just not ready to publish in a form we can stand behind. A made up figure would be worse than none.
How we talk about the women
We avoid the language of pity. The women are makers. They have skill, they do real work, and the animals exist because of that work. If a page ever sounds as if we are doing someone a favour, we wrote it badly.
That is also why we do not give names, quotes or life stories without the person's agreement. A story belongs to the woman who lived it. She decides what is told.
We try to follow the same rule in photos. We show the women at work, doing the thing they are good at.
How to learn more
The makers page shows women at work. The impact page sets out what we say about the people and the materials. Both stay inside what we can confirm.
If you want more, ask. Here are some good places to start:
- Which animal the makers like making most.
- What a day in the workroom looks like.
- Which part of an animal needs the most care.
We will share what a maker has agreed to share. We will say plainly what we cannot.
A plus sign is an honest place to start. The rest of the story belongs to the makers, and you are welcome to ask for it.
