The Kenyan Sistrum Rattle – A Piece of African History

The Sistrum Rattle

The Sistrum Rattle

We recently added these rattles to our musical instruments selection, and we’re finding out more about the unique history these rattles have in African culture! There are many stories about the sistrum, one famous one being that they were used in religious ceremonies and rituals, and were particularly associated with the worship of Egyptian goddess Isis. The sistrum was considered a sacred instrument in ancient Egypt and throughout other parts of Africa. Its sound was thought to echo that of a stem of papyrus being shaken. This soothing, rattling sound gives a mellow tribal tone to any musical celebration. Now the sistrum is used throughout Africa in various religious ceremonies and celebrations. To find out more or to get your own sistrum, Click Here.

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Uses of Beeswax

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Africa Imports now has Beeswax available in 8 fl. oz. and 16 fl. oz sizes. Beeswax is very versatile and has many uses. Ancient Egyptians used it as a sealant for their boats, perfumes and sarcophagi. Ancient Greeks used to make sculptures with beeswax.

It can be used as lip balm to keep your lips moist as it is a natural protectant. You can melt it in a double boiler and add olive oil and hemp seed oil with some essential fragrance oil to it.

You can use it to make moisturizer because it is great at keeping moisture in the skin. Melt some with almond seed oil and add distilled water. The stir in some essential oil for fragrance.

Moreover, you can use it to make beeswax candles which have been very popular for many years. It will give your candle a sweet scent of honey.

Beeswax has been added to candy like jelly beans and gummi bears. Also it can be used to relieve your skin of itchiness and pain. And you can melt some on an envelope for a party and seal it with a stamp.

There are so many uses to this. Come check it out here.

 

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Thank you for helping us to support Good Friend

One of the girls with Good Friend holding a basket of food for her family

One of the girls with Good Friend holding a basket of food for her family

Good Friend is a program we support in Congo where we send representatives to homes where orphaned children are living with extended family. This program helps them to have the food and medicine and counseling they need. Some of these children have one parent alive and are just living in really harsh conditions because of the lack of money available to the family. Good Friend delivers food weekly to these children and then our representative, Brice, makes house calls to make sure they are receiving the food and are getting healthier.

Here is a note we received in our email from our representative with Good Friend:

“This picture is just so haunting somehow with her blue container. This girls’ mother is the one that is deaf and mute. We keep working with her and her sister to talk while they are with us.

Thank you for your monthly generosity that goes out twice at Good Friend!!

Barb”

We didn’t get this girls name from our representative, but if possible please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for helping us to support her. Remember that a percentage of purchase is used towards helping support children like her. To find out more about what we do in Africa, Click Here.

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Books for African Children

Many children around the world see themselves in books they read, but African children rarely do.

This is a quote from Deborah Ahenkorah who is starting a program to help inspire literature for African children writen by Africans.

Africa Imports has just partnered in a small way with a group of students from Haverford College in PA. Deborah along with these other students have a passion to help bring more books and stories to children in Africa. Helping young minds to develop through reading and imagination is their purpose. Creating awards and other helps for aspiring African writers is what they are doing. You can see more about them and their own inspiring story on their website at http://www.goldenbaobab.org

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An Update from Good Friend in Congo

Girls sitting together with Good Friend

Girls sitting together with Good Friend

One of the greatest privileges we have at Africa Imports is to be part of a program that helps orphans and refugees in Congo. A percentage of each of your purchases goes towards helping these children. Good Friend is one of these programs. With Good Friend, we send representatives to homes where orphaned children are living with extended family. This program helps them to have the food and medicine and counseling they need. Some of these children have one parent alive and are just living in really harsh conditions because of the lack of money available to the family. Good Friend delivers food weekly to these children and then our representative, Brice, makes house calls to make sure they are receiving the food and are getting healthier.

Here is a note we received in our email from our representative with Good Friend:

“The girl, 3rd to the right on the front bench is named Mersiya. She has a mycosis skin infection that just will not heal. Her mother died and a young lady in the neighborhood took her in, it is not anyone from her own family. Their living conditions are miserable and so that is why her skin condition just goes on and on!!”

Please keep Mersiya in your thoughts and prayers along with the other children participating in Good Friend. To find out more about how your purchases help kids in Africa Click Here.

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Summer 2013 Wholesale Catalog is coming

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Gear up for the Summer!

Our NEW Catalog is at the printer now and will be mailed out to our customers in about a couple weeks.

You will love this catalog! We have so much more products to sell in this 144 page catalog of totally new fashions, jewelry, artwork, and so much more!

But you don’t need to wait! You can get a digital copy right now on your computer! Here’s how:

To view the catalog in a page-turning PDF viewer, click HERE.
To just download a copy of the catalog, click HERE.
To start shopping all the latest arrivals, click HERE!

 

Posted in African Art, African Business Tips, African Culture and Traditions, African Fashion and Textiles, African Movies, African Music and Musical Instruments, African Oils-Incense-burners, Natural African Skincare and Health, Orphanage Work, Promotions | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Thank You For Being a Good Friend!

Kids with Good Friend

Kids with Good Friend

Good Friend is a program we support in Congo where we send representatives to homes where orphaned children are living with extended family. This program helps them to have the food and medicine and counseling they need. Some of these children have one parent alive and are just living in really harsh conditions because of the lack of money available to the family. Good Friend delivers food weekly to these children and then our representative, Brice, makes house calls to make sure they are receiving the food and are getting healthier.

Here is a note we received in our email from our representative with Good Friend:

“The children are saying “thank you” 53 times to Africa Imports!!

Christian, the one in front with the 2 fingers raised is from Central African Republic. They are refugees here. His mom died and he lives with his dad. Again the living conditions intolerable but they survive. He is not in school, his father does not see the importance.

Thanks Africa Imports, thank you so much for being able to provide some relief to these kids that are hurting.”

Please keep these children in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you for helping us to support her. Remember that a percentage of purchase is used towards helping support children like her. To find out more about what we do in Africa, Click Here.

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Experiment to Make Your Own Shea Butter Body Scrub

Shea Butter in Yellow or White

Shea Butter in Yellow or White

When it comes to natural products, there are so many fun and simple ways to combine them to make nourishing body scrubs. You can blend shea butter with anything from brown sugar, dead sea salts, coffee granules and more to make a scrub. We were looking over at turningclockback.com and found this simple way to make a Coffee and Brown Sugar Shea Butter Scrub.

Here’s What You Need:
1 cup shea butter
1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
1/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup finely ground coffee
1 TBSP coffee extract
2 tsp vanilla extract

Here’s How You Make It:
Step One: Measure out your shea butter and press firmly into a measuring cup. Place this into the top of a double boiler and set on low . Stir the shea butter while it heats until it has melted. Take your shea butter and cool it in the refrigerator for about an hour. When it has thickened, move on to step two.

Step Two: Whip your shea butter. You will probably need a good stand mixer for this but a hand held set of beaters will work, too. You will need to beat it for about 4 or 5 minutes at high speed to incorporate plenty of air into the shea butter.

Step Three:
Combine your olive oil and melted coconut oil in a glass measuring cup and pour it very slowly into your shea butter from above. You will probably have to remove the beater occasionally and scrape the sides. If it is not as light and airy as you want it to be, you can put the whole thing in the refrigerator for 5 minutes to chill. Then, remove it and whip it up some more. You want about 3 to 4 minutes of beating at high speed to really incorporate the air into the oils and butter. Right before you are done, add the coffee and vanilla extracts and beat a few seconds to mix.

Step Four:
Add in your exfoliating brown sugar and finely ground coffee. The coffee is a harder exfoliator than the sugar so adjust your quantities according to your skin type. Make sure you have broken up all the lumps before adding to your butter/oil mix. Using a wooden spoon, just gently fold in the sugar and coffee. Mix until combined.

Step Five:
Package as you desire. You can put this in a clear glass jar and sprinkle the top with some brown sugar to make it extra pretty or just put it in a plastic container. This recipe makes about 3 cups so you’ll be able to use it for quite a while. Just a little bit goes a long way!

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What People are Saying About African Black Soap

African Black Soap with Oats and Aloe

African Black Soap with Oats and Aloe

When it comes to natural beauty, choosing a soap made from natural ingredients and therapeutic essential oils is essential. This all natural African black soap will cleanse and nourish your skin because it is infused with shea butter. Black soap purifies while shea butter moisturizes, healing worn-out skin and making it touchably soft and smooth! Added vitamin E promotes skin elasticity while nutrients from oats help to reverse the aging process. Aloe comforts tired skin, leaving you refreshed and energized.

What Others Say:

“I gave a sample bar to a customer who said it cleared up all her liver spots after using it for only one week. She really loved it and ordered 3 more bars.” – Eglarine from Loxahatchee, FL

“We love it. My entire family uses this soap & we retail in our shop as well. Always getting positive feedback from our customers.” – Wendy from Perry, MO

Find out more about this soap or get your own here.

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How Tea Tree Oil Can Heal Sun Damage

Tea Tree Oil - 4 oz.

Tea Tree Oil – 4 oz.

Tea tree oil is one of nature’s most effective ways to soothe or prevent a sunburn. It has very strong analgesic properties that help to calm and relieve pain and stinging. For immediate sunburn relief, dilute one part pure tea tree oil with ten parts olive oil or coconut oil, and spread the mixture on your singed skin. To add a cooling effect, include aloe or lavender oil in the mixture. Tea tree oil can also help to reduce blistering and peeling. You can apply full-strength tea tree oil directly on your sunburn, however people with sensitive skin should stick to using it in a diluted form.

Once your skin has calmed down after some time outside, add a few drops of tea tree oil to vitamin E or aloe vera lotion and apply it to your entire body. The healing properties of tea tree oil will help rejuvenate and rehydrate your skin post-sun. This in turn will help reduce the aging effects that sun exposure can have on the skin.

To find out more about how tea tree oil can help you, Click Here.

To get some of your own tea tree oil, Click Here.

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