Pretty and smiley, Leeni Ojaniemi has a knack of convincing people to do what she wants. Previously used to negotiate deals for her clients at contemporary art galleries in London – and now to convince international art critics to take note of the talented artists working in Ghana, where she is based – her powers of persuasion are now being applied to the launch of a new charity, No2Malaria.
The project brings together Ojaniemi’s passion for local art and her desire to give something back to the region that has become her home. Having worked in several high-profile art galleries in London, the Finnish-born entrepreneur travelled to West Africa for the first time in 2011 to explore the emerging contemporary art of the region. Despite taking anti-malarial tablets during her trip, she contracted both malaria and typhoid fever and was prescribed the life-saving treatment of medication that is still unavailable to so many – meaning that the programme is much more than just a pet project for her.
“I’ve been involved in and enthusiastic about African arts and crafts for many years now, and have travelled widely across West Africa to learn and research the past and current arts and crafts practices, but when I got malaria myself it opened my eyes to the extent of the problem,” she told us. “Learning that half a million people still die from malaria every year – including 20,000 children in Ghana alone – sparked a strong will to do something to help. Learning about the fascinating process of traditional bead making in Ghana inspired me to design a line of bracelets with a modern twist that could contribute to the fight against malaria in a very concrete way by donating long lasting mosquito nets to people in need.”
The premise of the enterprise is that one mosquito net is given to a rural local village in Ghana for each bracelet bought. And fashion lover Ojaniemi is delighted that the bracelets give pleasure to those wearing them, as well as giving protection to those who benefit from the programme.
“I have designed the bracelets with inspirations from the bead artistry of the country, and with respect to the original ways in which the beads have been shaped and painted for centuries,” she explained. “The beads are made out of recycled glass using bottles and other glass waste material. The glass is broken and placed into clay moulds and re-fired in an oven to make the new beads, before they are polished and individually hand-painted, and lastly strung together with locally hand-crafted brass elements and N2M pendants covered in Ghanaian gold. We want to create a stylish modern product made with ancient traditions, and to celebrate the artistry and craftsmanship of Ghana’s past as well as today.”
Learn more about the initiative, and buy your bracelets, at No2malaria.com.
Source: No2Malaria Charity Initiative – Bracelets Handmade In Ghana | British Vogue
