Xai Xai (pronounced shy shy) is a wonderful store about Africa. A continent so rich in colour, texture & culture yet so little is known about it. Mini Matthews, the owner of Xai Xai, has brought a new awareness of what's going on in the art & craft scene in that continent.

She prefers to support job creation programs for women & also seeks out arts & crafts made by people she'll find on the side of a lone dirt road, a man, woman or a child, trying to sell his/her wares just to bring food to the table. "You have no idea what treasures one can find in the middle of nowhere, and the creativity that stems from poverty".

Fair Trade? "I don't like using those words, too many people are starting to use the term "Fair Trade" as a sympathy move, to soften the hearts of potential buyers. Yes, there is a time, a place and a need to use these words, but the truth is that labour law's in Southern Africa are extremely strict." I pay everyone their asking price.

The problem there, is a 40% rate of unemployment & AIDS destroying communities.

Job creation programs, are about women in the know, venturing out to teach the women in the not know, ways to survive. This includes making crafts with what they have available to them - mostly recycling products.

They are also taught how to manage themselves in a small business situation. At times, depending on the craft, the raw materials, such as beads, are supplied to the women.

Mini Matthews is a crafter herself, & through her craft, got to know most of the crafters she now buy's from. "We were mostly selling to each other or to the tourists, & needed to expand our boundaries, so I stated to wholesale our crafts at international trade shows, but that had it's obstacles. So among other reasons, I decided to move over to the US for a few years & try other avenues - hence the birth of Xai Xai.

Mini also buy's antique African art for the collectors.

Xai Xai is not to be missed. It has a earthy feel and good energy. Ifs also about looking at things differently, Mini believes that any given item has a life of ifs own when placed right because "from one comer of a room to another, the energy is different".

Through Xai Xai, I feel I'm doing my bit in helping Africa & creating a new awareness as to their outstanding work

this is just the tip of the iceberg, there is so much more to be done.