Kuriftu Ethiopian Cultural Village

A few years ago, we were extended the opportunity to open a store in this up and coming brand new tourist destination called the Kuriftu Ethiopian Cultural Village. It is by invitation only that you have this opportunity. The owners had seen our product, specifically the recycled burlap product we create, at a local bazaar in Addis and contacted us immediately. We were very excited about the opportunity to expand our market here in Ethiopia. We are excited to announce that as of last week, Carry 117 has officially opened our new store at the Kuriftu Ethiopian Cultural Village in Debre Zeit (about one hour outside Addis). This resort is a large tourist destination with many expansion plans in its future! In fact, it's only about 25% completed at this time.

The mission of the Kuriftu Ethiopian Cultural Village is to provide an exhilarating space where guests can socially engage with Ethiopian crafts & activities in a comfortable, safe environment. By doing so, they hope to become the leader in promoting Ethiopian products worldwide, by aligning themselves with the nation’s changing history. The Village will truly be a “one-stop” destination to find the champion products of Ethiopia.

The village is designed with the country’s rich history in mind. Using contemporary features, they have used traditional thatched roofing methods, as well as, landscaping to capture the essence of Ethiopia. The shops will consist of glass and wood facades to maximize visibility and accessibility. All shops vary in size, and mixed into these artisan shops are the popular coffee destinations Kaldi's & Tomoca!

Furthermore, in mid-2018 the Kuriftu Water Park, East Africa's largest water amusement park, will open adjacent to the village to create an ideal tourist destination.

In addition to celebrating the opening of our new store, we also hired a young single woman by the name of Bisrat, an accountant by education, who will be running our store operations at this location.