Professionals Spotlight: Johanna Helin of Mamaa Trade

VINCENT TEETSOV

There’s something special about a product that’s been made by hand with expertise and dedication. You can tell the difference in the quality of a product that has had thought put into it. Estonians may be especially attuned to this with our textile tradition going back countless generations.

With a whole world of rich craft traditions that many of us have not had the chance to know and enjoy, Mamaa Trade operates as a way to connect the businesses of craftspeople from Ghana, Uganda, Afghanistan, and Syria via e-commerce, as well as in local shops and markets in Ontario. I spoke with the owner, Johanna Helin, to see how it all began.

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Photo used with permission from Johanna Helin