NKUKU

The idea of Nkuku, based in the UK, came from a year out from working life, travelling mainly through Africa and India. Alex Cook and her husband wanted to find a way to promote and develop the traditional skills of the artisans they met along the way, whilst building a sustainable business for themselves, and in the process improve the challenging living standards and restricted opportunities that many artisans endured. 
Nkuku is socially responsible and built on the principles of fair trade and equal opportunity. Nkuku products are both beautiful and eco friendly. 
Nkuku works with independent businesses, social projects and co-operatives with a focus on building strong business relationships with all of their suppliers, so that they can work together towards mutual success. Their primary focus is transparency, they see their suppliers more as partners and encourage open dialogue and communication. They make regular visits and employ agents who also visit their suppliers often, to assist with production queries and offer support and advice. They allow long lead times to ensure that no unnecessary pressure is placed on production and that capacity is not exceeded. 

Nkuku adheres to the standard globally recognized 10 Principles Of Fair Trade, but have their own procedures for the management of their supply base. A key principle for them is working with suppliers who are at the start of their fair trade process. Providing that there is the desire to start on an ethical journey, they will invest in the supplier to help them achieve this. As a result they will have suppliers who are at varying stages of their own accreditation. Trading fairly provides these artisans with an opportunity to build a future. It helps businesses develop and creates sustainable employment.