Mission

Our mission is supporting families in Ethiopia who want to help themselves rather than receiving charity.

History

Jasmine Company was founded by the sister team of Susan and Sally in 1985. It has grown from a simply gift sales business to a more international and humanitarian focus, and one of the functions of the company is the sale of handmade gifts including necklaces, baskets, gobbies made by artisans in Ethiopia. The Jasmine "family" has also grown to include much of the immediate family,including sisters Jayne and Julie, sister in law Bonnie, nieces Kelly and Michelle, and brother Tom. This is a not-for profit endeavor, so all of the help is volunteer, and all of the proceeds of the sales go directly back to the artisans in Ethiopia. The necklaces are made by the "Addis Heywet Women's Income Coop" that was begun in Addis Ababa Ethiopia in 1995. This was a group of formerly homeless families that now support themselves totally by the sale of these necklaces.

Other Interests

Another association of the Jasmine Company is with the "Yezelelam Minch" Childrens homes for orphans whose parents have died of aids, also based in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. The web address of this is www.zelalem.org where you can see what they are doing.