The HAWI & YEMA Foundation

The Gifts They Received

Yema Khalif grew up in Kibera, Kenya—one of the world's largest slums. His family survived on $50 a month. He walked miles daily for water. Education seemed impossible.

At 19, he auditioned for a Hollywood film shooting in Nairobi. A visiting actress saw his potential and couldn't believe the conditions he lived in. She became his foster mother—facilitating his journey to America for college.

That gift of opportunity changed everything. Yema became a college valedictorian, entrepreneur, and designer on a global stage.

Hawi Awash lost her parents as a child and grew up as an orphan in Ethiopia. She found chosen family—people who saw her, believed in her, opened doors when they could have stayed closed.

Both founders know what it means when someone champions your potential. Both know what happens when a door opens that should have stayed locked.

The Gift They're Giving Back

YEMA exists to pay that gift forward.

Every piece we create supports orphaned children's education in Ethiopia and Kenya. Not charity. Justice. Reciprocity. The same opportunity that opened doors for Yema and Hawi—education, access, a chance to break the cycle—is what we're championing for the next generation.

We're not just building a fashion brand. We're building a legacy of opened doors. We're becoming foster parents to hundreds—the way Yema's foster mother became his champion.

How You Contribute

When you wear YEMA, you're not just expressing yourself. You're championing opportunity.

20% of all proceeds of every purchase supports The HAWI & YEMA Foundation, funding education for orphaned children in Ethiopia and Kenya.

Every piece tells a story. Every purchase opens a door.

That's what it means to contribute to something bigger than yourself.

Champion opportunity. Wear YEMA.