"Hope is the strength by which a shattered world shall emerge into the light." ~ unknown
 
These Hope-full Soapstone Hearts are the perfect size to be held in a hand during difficult school days or doctor appointments, to be lovingly tucked in a coat pocket or a lunchbox for a heart hug, or to be placed on a desk or kitchen windowsill as a keepsake of love and memories.  If you're the parent of a child struggling with a serious life challenge or the friend of a cancer fighter, even the relative of a beloved one lost too early, this strong but gentle heart of smooth stone serves as message of light even if the days are dark.  Hold on to hope.
 
Every item of our Soapstone collection starts as a huge hunk of stone, mined and hauled form the lushly green hills of southwestern Kenya, before being sawed and hacked by machetes into smaller chunks of soapstone.  Master artisans chisel and carve every piece into its final rough shape, and then more artisans wet sand until it is completely smooth.  Then the hot Kenyan sun dries the soapstone items before different artisans paint and hand-etch every single message.  So much time and talent, so many hands and so very much love goes into every single heart.
 
Purchasing just one of these hearts or of any of the Kisii Soapstone pieces provides so many jobs and a sustainable, stable income that provides for each woman artisan's family and the education and university fees for their children in a country where employment is too often nearly impossible for women to find.
 
Approx. 1.5in