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Moio was founded in order to globalize the marketplace for Zimbabwean artisans. Like many countries across the world, the COVID-19 pandemic hit Zimbabwe's economy really hard. The loss of tourism endangered the livelihoods of many artisans and craftspeople across the country, as they were left with no customers. They decided that if the people couldn't make it to the product, they would bring beautiful, handcrafted and sustainable product to the people.
A high school senior, Gemma Levi from Brooklyn is the founder of Moio. A descendant of Zimbabwean family, Gemma has always been drawn to the rich culture of her homeland, especially to the artisan networks that embody the country's creative and vibrant spirit. On trips to Zimbabwe, Gemma often spent her days in flea markets, where she began to understand how the preservation of artistic traditions can liberate women from cycles of poverty and discrimination. She spent time learning how to bead from skilled craftspeople, with whom she has deep relationships.
During the pandemic, when the fragility of the Zimbabwean artisan economy revealed itself to her, Gemma created Moio, a social enterprise that not only supports established artisan networks, but seeks to empower women without professional prospects who have faced rape, gender discrimination, abuse, poverty, etc. Gemma is committed to giving these women, not only the vocational skills necessary to become proficient beaders, but the entrepreneurial and life skills that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives.
Connecting these artisans to customers all around the world creates a symbiotic relationship in which everyone can have, gift, or wear one of these bracelets and continue to support the people who make them. Everyone was impacted by the pandemic in immeasurable ways, and this was just their opportunity to ease that a little for other people. Every purchase of a bracelet does the same.
Their goal is to create a sustainable source of income for their artisans through market access and paying them a fair price. With the establishment of Project Moio, they have dedicated themselves to putting profits back into our artisans' communities to combat growing sex-based discrimination.
 Ziso Bracelet |
 Rein Bracelet |
 Tessa Bracelet |
 Poppy Bracelet |
