Support Refugee Craftsmanship with Nest
Nest is a nonprofit that helps refugee artisans preserve their craft traditions, support their families, and rebuild their lives. Learn more about Nest's programs—and how you can support their work.
Support Refugee Craftsmanship with Nest
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In honor of World Refugee Day, which takes place each June, we’re shining a light on Nest’s Refugee Artisan Accelerator, a program developed in partnership with the CFDA and MADE51.
Nest, a nonprofit founded in 2006, supports a global network of more than 3,000 women artisans by offering free programs and resources to help their craft-based businesses grow and thrive. As Nest’s founder and executive director Rebecca van Bergen points out, “craft is not just a vehicle for beauty and utility, it is a powerful tool for preserving culture, strengthening community, and creating economic opportunity.”
For artisans who are refugees, the chance to use their skills and earn a living is essential to the long process of rebuilding their lives. Sara Wohlers, who represents Indego Africa—an online artisan marketplace and training program for women in Ghana, Rwanda, and refugee camps throughout the region—says it is vital to recognize that “artisan skills are transferable.”
But when people are forced to flee from violence and insecurity, the demands of day-to-day survival take precedence. Without a support system, many refugees do not have the resources to begin to earn an income, let alone sustain their cultural and familial traditions. Nest meets refugee artisans at this intersection of preservation and possibility by helping them forge “a path to resilience and sustainable livelihoods,” van Bergen says.
Nest’s Refugee Artisan Accelerator operates as a collaborative cohort, providing opportunities for artisans to present their craft techniques and products to representatives from leading fashion and home decor brands, in partnership with the CFDA. Nest and its partners work with refugees around the world who produce everything from comfy, hand-sewn baby clothes in Burkina Faso to colorful, handwoven scarves and shawls made by women at the Thai-Burma border.
Nest’s latest initiative is its online Refugee Artisan Accelerator Marketplace, where you can explore a growing collection of beautiful, handcrafted products made by refugee artisans. You’ll find striking lariat necklaces, hand-beaded by craftswomen in South Sudanese refugee camps; delicately woven voile scarves, made by Afghan women, with motifs of red tulips symbolizing strength and resilience; and much, much more. These pieces represent not just handmade beauty and tradition, but perseverance. Every purchase supports a refugee artisan in preserving their heritage and crafting a meaningful, sustainable livelihood.
Through its Artisan Accelerator and other innovative programs, Nest helps to bring refugees out of the shadows, elevating their artistry and connecting them with global markets. Take a moment to learn more about Nest’s work and the artisan communities they champion—you may end up with a lovely and unique handcrafted item as a bonus!
Now Streaming Free…
"Humility, Hustle, and Building a Craft Business," with Rebecca van Bergen
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The founder of Nest talks about her passion for supporting craft-based businesses, what it takes for artisans to succeed—and why their success matters on a global scale.
Craftsmanship Magazine focuses on master artisans and innovators whose work informs our quest: to create a world built to last. In addition to our Substack offerings, you’ll find a rich archive of stories, podcasts, photo essays, and documentary shorts on our free website—along with community resources like our Artisans’ Directory, our guide to U.S.-based craft & folk schools, and much more.