Timidwa means Friendship in Tamasheq

Friendship is the foundation of Timidwa, united in common creative goals. From start to finish, everything produced by Timidwa’s artisans is handcrafted using fair trade labor and sustainable practices. Timidwa encourages and supports the diversification of activities to reduce the reliance on tourism and craft trade.  A portion of artisans’ sales is used to help finance community projects such as the drilling of wells, building of schools, support of displaced and impoverished people.

Tuareg Jewelry

Tuareg jewelry is known as some of the most unique silver jewelry in the world. Artisans produce stunning jewelry in bold, geometric and symmetrical designs using traditional tools of the trade, many of which are of their own construction and design.  Each piece incorporates century old symbols, which are passed down from generation to generation.

Timidwa’s jewelry and crafts are designed using silver, ebony wood, leather, and polished, semi-precious stones such as onyx, agate, cornelian, turquoise. The ability of the artisans to endlessly vary their designs around common themes and their innovative use of a wide range of materials leads to jewelry that few can duplicate, even with better and more sophisticated tools and techniques.

Timidwa’s members are united in making some of the finest and unique artwork imaginable.

Leather Artistries

Women artisans of Timidwa focus mainly on the intricate leather work. They soak the raw leather and tan the leather with natural tannins and soften them with oil or butter. The colorful, geometrically precise, hand drawn motifs are used to decorate each piece using natural dyes. Each handcrafted piece includes brilliant adornment that combines painted, embroidered and incised decoration. An array of artworks are created such as hand bags of various sizes, pillow and floor cushions, saddle bags, and coin purses as well as other accessories.