AFRIAccess is an eCommerce platform that supports young artists and craftswomen. We provide economic empowerment & access by enabling the production and distribution of Art; Accessories & Lifestyle products to the global market.
AFRIAccess was an idea that unraveled in stages, from the initial connection with creatives living and hustling in Kibera, Kenya (one of the largest slums in Africa) witnessing them doing so much with little to no support, to coming up with the concept; inspired by the creativity, the richness of the diverse cultures, and the perseverance of the people I met.
We find, support, and build the most marginalized young East Africans (commencing with Kenya) and women who are makers| designers| artists, and provide resources and tools that help amplify their voice, their visibility and enable them to grow and deliver their products and services effectively. Building their strategic network and customer base.
We are aiming to build relationships with other platforms and art publications, so, this came at the right time.
What is the mission of AFRIAccess?
Lydia: Build a trusted, community-focused, customer-centric, commerce and content platform that delivers quality products and services that raise the profile of African craftsmanship and entrepreneurship.
How did it all start, what inspired this idea?
Lydia: AFRIAccess was an idea that unraveled in stages, from the initial connection with young creatives living and hustling in Kibera, one of Africa’s largest slums; witnessing them doing so much with little to no support, to conceiving and visualizing the concept.
I was inspired by the creativity, the richness of the diverse cultures, and the perseverance of the people I met. The experience reminded me of when Kwame Nkrumah poignantly said, ‘I am not African because I was born in Africa, I am African because Africa was born in me’.
I am a part of the diaspora revolution that has been unfolding over the years, reconnecting with Africans to Create; Connect; Collaborate in building the infrastructure that will support the next generation of African craftsmen & women.
So, it is with this sense of appreciation and inspiration that I want to challenge the aid model of development, instead, AFRIAccess will showcase and support the craftsmanship and ingenuity of African artisans and marginalized women through the production and distribution of African inspired Art| Accessories| lifestyle products. It is really about thinking local, acting global by enabling scalability.
How did you make it happen?
Lydia: I came to the UK as an immigrant in 1995, struggled with citizenship issues, lost my father a year after I landed in the UK (1996), so very early on, I lost a big part of my identity; Kenya and my father. So, I guess that was the initial reconnection back to my homeland. Fast forward 2018, I took a trip to Kenya, specifically, Kibera to make a documentary as part of a female film collective about the Kenyan Nubian Tribe, and it is at this point that I fell in love with Kibera; the people, the hustle, the ecosystem that the people had built, living on the fringes of society, discarded but right in the heart of Nairobi. It was frustrating, but at the same time, I was in awe of their resilience. I immediately felt a connection and it was at this moment that everything I had been doing up to this point made sense.
Inspired by the craftsmanship that I had come to see in Kenya, but more specifically places like Kibera, I knew that I had to do something about it. So, I contacted a young man that I had met whilst doing the documentary. He had been our guide into Kibera and provided support and access as he was entrenched in the community and very well known, thus, he would be the perfect person to partner with in regards to finding the artists. I discussed my idea with him and asked if he can be the person on the ground that helps me to source artists and connect them to me, as well as help facilitate logistics and the development of creative content to support the visibility of the artists and the aesthetics of their work. This was around Oct 2019. Then the pandemic came about and I utilized the remote working element to really begin developing the idea; which included highlighting the vision, mission, and who we are.
I began building relationships with the artists that my coordinator on the ground found. Initially, there was one artist – Clinton Artisto. He was the first one to see the vision I had and put trust in me and the platform. So, I organized a photoshoot so that we could get some professional pictures of his artwork as well as a profile of him as an artist. This then encouraged two further artists; Chesta and Baraka, and most recently, Banja who contacted me through the to initiate a relationship and ask for support as he had heard about the work I had done with Clinton, Chesta, and Baraka. This was all during the pandemic, whilst building the website and not even launched yet, purely through Instagram and conversations with my network of what I was building, I managed to facilitate eight commissions. This showed them how serious I was about working with them and showed me that AFRIAccess was something that could work. Fast forward Oct 2021, I have four artists and two female artisans that I have worked with to develop the accessories range for the platform.
I have managed to build, maintain and develop relationships with artists and artisans remotely; utilizing my relationship skills, my connection to the country, my passion for what I am building to persuade diverse individuals to not only put their trust in me without having anything concrete in
place, just the Instagram page and my vision, but to believe in what AFRIAccess is about and why it came about. I have had many milestones already that have proven to me, albeit scary, that AFRIAccess is needed and will work.
What separates your art platform from the others?
Lydia: Our ‘why’ and the AFRIAccess is about equity, support, visibility, scalability, and relationship building. We are not just interested in the artists’ work to resell, we want to support the artists to scale up their operations and diversify their work. Enabling them to continue creating whilst we take care of the rest.
The talent is abundant in Africa, especially in ‘invisible’ or rural places like Kibera, so a transactional relationship as a model is not suited to the needs of the artists that the platform is aiming to support and work with, thus, our value proposition is about creating value and equity around these artists’ work, which in turn allows the customer to considerately consume. Collaborating in some instances, thus, we operate a fair trade business model that supports upcoming artists, young artists, and those that are marginalized. The goal is to help them become published, connect to a global customer base, and support their development as diverse artists.
What is the process of finding new artists to participate with AFRIAccess?
Lydia: As mentioned earlier, I have a person on the ground called Yassin Bwire, an amazing young man, who leverages his connection to the community to find and bring the artists on board. He sources the artists, but nearly all, apart from one, came to us after hearing about Clinton. So, Yassin did an excellent job initially involving Clinton and completing the photoshoot, which provided an impetus for other artists to show interest.
I review the artists work and then take over from Yassin in regards to fully briefing the artists about who I am, why AFRIAccess and the long-term goals, as well as getting to know them, their needs, why they are interested, and how they would like to work with us. Once this initial meeting phase is done and everyone is happy, Yassin then continues the facilitation of the relationships. I oversee and provide direction.
It has been a really interesting way of showcasing my people and relationship management skills, as well as mentorship skills. I have also provided support and leadership to Yassin, thus utilizing my transferable skills gained through work, such as effective communication, teamwork, and problem-solving.
What are the most challenging and rewarding aspects you have faced so far?
Lydia: The most challenging aspect has been building everything without a co-founder as it is always good to have someone to bounce ideas off.
Defining the relationship between the artists and the platform as during the pandemic, I ended up supporting two of the artists due to unforeseen circumstances that meant they would not
have had somewhere to live. The platform was able to support them in paying rent for somewhere small and affordable that doubled as a space to create. So, I negotiated with them to complete a few paintings of cultural and impact-driven influencers such as Stormzy, Mark Rashford, and Liv Little as a way of introducing the platform. Therefore, I had to redefine how we would work together in the future, whereby it was a much simpler relationship that had clearer boundaries.
Although I stated the above was challenging, it also evidenced the need for the platform as it relates to investing in young artists through the provision of materials to enable them to continue creating, thus, economic development and self-maintenance.
Another challenging aspect was managing various different parts; people and different elements of building the platform, such as the website, the business model and structure, marketing, admin, the list goes on and on and on. However, I am a resilient, hard-working person, who is adaptable and perseveres, so I see all obstacles as a learning curve, a way for me to grow; once I am over screaming and shouting at myself, moaning a little about how much I have to do, once I am done with all of that, I get it done.
The most rewarding part is the impact that I have already made on the artists. Enabling them to create through the pandemic, supporting them to continue on the artist’s path by providing respite when it was needed, finding numerous commissions for them during the pandemic and without having officially launched. I proved to myself that I have what it takes to truly build a
social enterprise that can be both monetary beneficial but puts people at the heart of what it does. The impact is truly something I seek to create in all my personal and professional endeavors and impact is truly what I think AFRIAccess has already made and will continue to make in a huge way.
You’ve sent me some really amazing artworks from three of the young artists you work with. Tell me more about them and their work.
Lydia: “Clinton Odhiambo popularly known as Artisto, was born in Asembo Siaya County but later moved to Kibera slums in Nairobi Kenya with his parents who came to look for green pastures in Nairobi. Clinton started practicing art at Uweza Art gallery in Kibera for about 4 years then later moved to Nyota Art Gallery where he did his artworks for about two and half years and later became an independent artist”.
More about Clinton can be found here and on our website, once we Launch. Clinton has participated in various art exhibitions and art-related events.
1. Kenya national museum
2. Kenya art diary 2019
3. Naivasha resort art exhibition
4. Clever art gallery exhibitions 2018
5. Art fest 2019
6. Henrich Bough
7. Laikipia fashion fair & gala 2018
8. Karen country club
9. Alchemist art exhibition
Chesta – Chesta Nyamosi a.k.a (Stroke Face):
Chesta is a self-taught artist who mostly does portraits that are inspired by African culture and that’s what he wishes people to see whenever they look at his artworks.
Chesta has worked with Uweza Art Gallery and Nyota Art Gallery as an artist. He has done many exhibitions; his first exhibition was at the (UNEP) Gigiri. As well as Kuona Trust, Sarova Stanley, Alliance Francaise where he was featured at the Kenya Art Diaries (KAD) 2018/2019, and the Affordable Art Fair at National the Museum Chesta does art because it is his specific talent and passion, and would love for people to be inspired whenever they see his art.
Baraka – Baraka Joseph Mutuku is a self-taught fine and contemporary artist.
Baraka’s inspiration comes from life but mostly, his experience of life in Africa and his surroundings. For example, the different African cultures, Afrikan people in general, and the daily Afrikan way of life. Baraka’s mission is to touch a soul with his art.
Baraka has exhibited at the United Nations Kenya, The Museum of Art and Culture, The Panafrican Hotels in Nairobi, and much more.
Banja – Ian Banja is an artist from Kibera, who is 20 years old as of 2021. Born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya, Banja is motivated by his love of learning and succeeding as he strives to pursue his passion and interest in painting. It is Banja’s goal as an artist to encourage this closer examination of ordinary things by presenting them in an unusual context. While his art subjects vary widely, Banja finds himself repeatedly drawn to portraits. His works mainly are about the current situations (affair), the daily tussles, and challenges experienced in his life.
Banja believes that “A great artist is not only the creation of the original Image but also the result of a significant technical and aesthetic consideration while making the final piece. I work with my own style and technique of painting, my own touch, and finesse in creating”.
Who is the most recent artist to join your gallery and why did you choose them?
Lydia: Banja is the most recent artist. I liked his storytelling in his art, the colours, the subjects, and Banja’s attitude as a whole. A very humble young man, who showcases such a mature perspective through the artwork he creates.
How do you spread the word about what you do?
Lydia: Currently, I am using social media – Instagram and Facebook mostly. I also had v1 of the website available which really legitimized and enabled people to see what I was creating prior to officially launching.
I have used my network but mostly received interest through Instagram.
My aim is to do an interactive online launch before the end of the year. Mid-end of Nov in time for Christmas and plan an immersive art multidisciplinary experience next year. Doing more interviews with publications is also something I want to do to gain a community of #AFRI-Arters. Our story and vision is important and I believe that once people hear it, plus the visuals and the quality art on offer, I believe they will support and join the AFRIAccess journey.
We want to build a community of art lovers, those that believe in fair trade and supporting small businesses. AFRIAccess is a consortium of small businesses; from Africa to the globe.
What are your ambitions for the future?
Lydia: My aspiration for AFRIAccess is for it to be a business model that leverages technology to add value to the creative business ecosystem in Africa. From Africa to Global; developing infrastructure that enables scalability and social responsibility. Through digitization and data, we aim to improve how vendors, especially artists in the most rural and invisible parts of Africa connect to a global customer base.
To learn more about AFIAAccess project, please check:
Website