A founding petition
Two problems.
One answer.
The world is running on systems built for a fraction of the people now living in them. Too much is controlled by too few. And somewhere along the way, we stopped seeing each other as human.
Align with Africa is built to answer both of those problems at once. Through craft. Through radical transparency. Through a global community of people who believe the world can work differently.
This page is where you say so.
Here's the thing about building something new.
Whether you're a Kenyan artisan applying for a community grant or a founder raising investment in Silicon Valley, the system asks you to prove it before it gives you what you need to prove it.
We aren't waiting for permission.
We're asking you to carry your intention forward. No payment today. No card required. Just your signal that when we've built the infrastructure, the team, the systems, the supply chain, you want to be among the first to commission a piece that you know, with complete transparency, was made with dignity, paid fairly, and built to last.
Your commitment is what we show the world when we say: the demand is real. The community exists. Now give us the resources to serve it.
The full story of why.
Watch it to understand everything behind what we are building.
What this means.
What you're saying yes to
- A belief that transparency and accountability in business are possible
- Supporting artisan livelihoods, not charity, livelihood amplification
- Being among the first to commission a piece when the system is ready
- Full choice and customization when your invitation arrives
What happens with your commitment
- Your name is collected privately to make every update feel personal
- Your pin appears anonymously on the global map, no identifying information displayed publicly
- It goes toward showing investors that real people, in real places, want this
- You will hear from us as we build, no spam, just progress
- When we are ready, you are first
What your piece will include (when made)
- Live updates as your piece is made, from first material to final stitch, before it ever reaches your door
- QR-activated product passport documenting your artisan by name
- 10% of sale price directly to your maker for their labor
- 20% to a community initiative chosen by your artisan
- Locally sourced materials provided to the artisan
- The full story carried in the piece itself, yours to share with everyone who asks where you got it
We aren't all starting from the same starting point.
But we believe in the same finishing line.
Choose how you carry it.
Seed Carrier
$20
Example pieces
- Beaded AirPods lanyard
- Hand-stamped leather keychain
- Woven friendship bracelet
Root Carrier
$50
Example pieces
- Beaded coin purse
- Hand-embroidered pocket square
- Woven phone pouch
Branch Carrier
$100
Example pieces
- Hand-dyed kikoi scarf
- Woven market basket
- Beaded clutch
Trunk Carrier
$500
Example pieces
- Custom tailored shirt or blouse
- Hand-woven tote
- Beaded statement necklace
Foundation Carrier
$1,000
Example pieces
- Signature dome bag by Mwangi
- Custom made-to-order dress
- Hand-beaded ceremonial jacket
These are examples of what's waiting. When we're ready, you will choose and customize your own piece directly with your artisan.
Pricing reflects what is real for where you are. Every tier carries the same values: 10% directly to your maker, 20% to a community initiative they choose, full transparency from first stitch to your door.
The global roll
These are intentions, not charges. Payment is taken only when the system is built and your piece is ready to be made for you.
Built inside Align. Scaled for the world.
Every product passport, every artisan story, every verified supply chain claim you will see through Align with Africa runs on Trace Every Thread, traceability infrastructure we built because it did not exist at the level we needed it.
Once proven here, Trace Every Thread becomes available to any ethical brand, NGO, or cooperative that wants to make the same claims with the same proof. And when consumers start choosing brands and NGOs that have committed to transparency and accountability, it shifts what gets made and how. Not by tearing anything down. By building something new that works better.
When you carry your intention forward, you are not just supporting one luxury house. You are helping prove the model that changes how the whole system works.
A bot can't buy a bag.
Can't carry one.
Can't pass one across a table and watch someone ask where it came from.
This is human connection, made physical. Carried across the world by people who believe something better is being built.
We aren't breaking anything. We are just building something new.
Add your pin to the map.