LIVING ON A PRAYER

The Ahadi Collective finds community and hope while turning out handmade works of art

Story by CHRISTIAN WELCH | Photos by DANNY FULGENCIO

When Liboire Barenga first stumbled upon the idea for a textile company run by East African immigrants, one word came to mind: “ahadi.” Swahili for “promise,” the word encapsulated how he and his friends felt about the possibility, since many of them struggled to find employment. It was nothing more than a dream until the Missional Wisdom Foundation gave them the space and funding to get started.

The Ahadi Collective employs refugees from East Africa who sew and weave goods using donated materials. The Missional Wisdom Foundation subsidizes the workspace and salaries for the refugees, while proceeds buy any extra materials they need. The creativity of Ahadi allows them to turn old T-shirts and discarded fabric into baby clothes, bags, pillows and