Selam!
My name is Lilly Bekele-Piper and I am the founder of Amina. Amina Hassan was my father's grandmother. Our beloved great-grandmother. We do not know much about her life. She was from the Somali region of Ethiopia, near Harar where my dad grew up. Amina was Muslim and sadly, was forcibly baptized in the Coptic Church. As such, she lived a hard and complicated life and died giving birth to her first child, my grandmother, Wodinesh Tessema.
What you see in Amina is to honor her legacy. To honor craftwomanship, faith, heritage, joy and even the hardship that creates pause in our life. My hope is to celebrate and honor the people we come from and to imagine new stories and joys for them through design and creativity. I have designed every piece on these pages and the the talented hands of master artisans across the Continent have brought them to life.
Amina also means 'amen' in Kiswahili. Which affirms that the work of this brand is to align with our Creator and to honor creation in how we live, work and serve. So be it.
Occassionally, I will write and share about the work we do, how we do it and the stories behind the finished products. I hope you will join me.
እግዚአብሔር ይባርካችሁ
Gratefully, Lilly