Giraffes crocheted by the Ladies Cooperative 4Africa.
April Gulley wants to spread the word that Africa is a continent filled with “really great artists and makers running their own successful businesses.” She strives to do that through her business, Ubuntu Trade, which has been running through online and craft market platforms for the past two years. She will open her first brick and mortar shop this September on Madison’s west side.
In 2009, Gulley traveled to Uganda to visit a friend. This led to her moving there in 2012 to run a nonprofit. While there she also fostered four children, whom she still sponsors and and visits regularly.
Ultimately, Gulley decided to represent East African artists and craftspeople stateside, showcasing their handmade goods through local markets and pop-ups. Ubuntu Trade was born in 2016. When the opportunity came this spring to move into the former Three Orange Doors space on Fitchrona Road, Gulley took the leap.
April Gulley, (above), owner of Ubuntu Trade. Handcarved ironwood spoons from Kenya, and earrings handcrafted by an artist in Kenya from repurposed bone and brass.
At a soft opening slated for the end of September and a grand opening the weekend of Oct. 13-14, customers will find a mix of goods from small producers and artisans located in Uganda, Rwanda and Kenya. While Ubuntu is not certified fair trade, Gulley follows the principles of the Fair Trade Federation.
Some of Gulley’s favorites include a line of Ankole cow horn home decor products. She also loves the best-selling crocheted stuffed giraffes made by a women’s organization in Kampala. Every product that Gulley sells is one-of-a-kind, which has posed challenges, she says, as the actual item often differs from the photo she features on her website. Gulley also plans to feature products from local makers.
Half of the space will be dedicated to the gift shop; the other half will be an open, collaborative community space. “If you can dream it, we can figure out how to do it in this space,” says Gulley, listing already-scheduled plans for yoga sessions, children’s music classes and a photographer’s studio.
Ubuntu, which means “I am because you are,” is Gulley’s hope for greater shared humanity. She gets emotional when she talks about her dreams for the shop, saying she wants it to be affordable and “an inclusive, all-are-welcome space. I want to embrace the word ubuntu [and] that philosophy.”
Ubuntu Trade
2789 Fitchrona Road, Madison; 608-467-3431; ubuntutrade.com
Sept.: 10 am-6 pm Tues.-Wed., 10 am-8 pm Thurs., 10 am-6 pm Fri., 10 am-4 pm Sat.-Sun.
