A Gift of Purpose at ARSO: Cotecna Partners with Amani ya Juu to Support African Artisans

At this year’s ARSO event, Cotecna proudly gifted participants with uniquely designed laptop bags, handcrafted using vibrant African textiles and branded with the Cotecna logo. More than just a conference giveaway, these bags represented a powerful message: Cotecna’s long enduring partnership with Africa is rooted in more than business. It's built on shared values, cultural pride, and a deep commitment to sustainable impact. 

Since our founding in 1974, Cotecna has walked hand in hand with African governments, manufacturers, and consumers through our various Verification of conformity programs. We have helped to secure supply chains, promote fair trade, and ensure that only safe, high-quality products are imported and exported across the continent. As a trusted partner in development, we don’t just work in Africa. We work with Africa.

We believe that true partnership includes giving back, empowering communities, and investing in lasting change. That’s why, the past few years, we chose to collaborate with Amani ya Juu, a social enterprise that echoes Cotecna’s values of dignity, peace, and sustainability. 

Amani ya Juu is a fair-trade social enterprise that empowers refugee and marginalized women across Africa. Through sewing and artisan training programs, Amani provides these women—many of whom have fled war, poverty, or displacement—with the tools to rebuild their lives, earn an income, and support their families with dignity.

By sourcing from Amani ya Juu, Cotecna supports fair trade practices, reduces environmental impact through local production, and strengthens grassroots economies. These bags tell a story of sustainability, resilience, and women-led transformation. It is our way of saying that African craftsmanship deserves a global stage, and that social impact can be woven into the very fabric of business. 

Amani ya Juu has grown into a network of interdependent centers across Africa and the US, including Uganda, Liberia, and Tennessee. Everywhere Amani goes, it brings with it the message of peace, healing, and opportunity. Cotecna is proud to stand beside this movement—to not only pass the peace but to carry it forward through every gift, every partnership, and every act of shared purpose.

To every ARSO attendee who received a bag, we say this: May this small gift inspire you. Behind each stitch lies a story of hope, strength, and perseverance. And behind each partnership we form, lies Cotecna’s enduring belief in people, their potential, their dreams, and their power to transform the world around them. 

As we continue our journey across Africa, we carry the spirit of Amani with us—peace from above, stitched by hand, and shared with heart. 

Stay connected with Cotecna and discover the stories behind our work. Cotecna contact us. 

To find out more about Amani ya Juu - Handmade African Bags, Clothing, Jewelry & Accessories visit their website. 

About Cotecna

For over 50 years, we have been supporting agriculture, food and pharma, minerals and metals, and consumer products supply chains all over the world. We provide testing, inspection, and certification services to help our clients navigate evolving regulations, ensure product compliance, and support their sustainability journey.