Sabahar

The Story

Sabahar is Ethiopia's only Fair Trade certified silk and cotton textile company, founded by Kathy Marshall in 2008. A Canadian-born development worker who fell in love with Ethiopia, Kathy built Sabahar from a small workshop into a company employing 80+ artisans in Addis Ababa. Sabahar is unique in Africa for its full-cycle silk production — from mulberry cultivation to hand-spinning to hand-weaving — reviving Ethiopia's ancient silk tradition that dates to the Aksumite era. The company is WFTO (World Fair Trade Organization) guaranteed, meaning every artisan receives fair wages, healthcare, and profit-sharing. Sabahar's cotton textiles are woven on traditional Ethiopian pit looms by Dorze weavers, while silk is spun from domesticated and wild eri silkworms. Featured at the 2020 New York NOW trade fair and supplied to ABC Carpet & Home.