Black History Month, Valentine’s Day, and the Heart of Positively Africana By Aimee
Meet Tink: Our Top Customer and Global Ambassador of Our Mission
Tink and Aimee at Positively Africana By Aimee Shopping and hanging out with Aimee.
Every year, we are moved and inspired by Tink.
We couldn’t help but share her story—because her generosity and her steady support for our mission is exactly what Ubuntu looks like in real life.
Tink isn’t just a customer. She’s a good friend of Aimee and Positively Africana By Aimee . She’s a living example of what Positively Africana By Aimee stands for:
Ubuntu—the belief that we are all connected, and that our actions matter.
For years, Tink has shown up consistently, purchased thoughtfully, and most importantly—she’s spread the heart of our mission everywhere she goes. When you buy from us, 25% of profits support women entrepreneurs in the Congo. When Tink wears our pieces, she carries that mission with her. When she gives our gifts, she’s not just giving a product—she’s giving representation, connection, and hope.
She’s not just shopping. She’s building a legacy.
Tink with Aimee at Positively Africana By Aimee—shopping handmade hearts to spread love with friends, families, and strangers
Fun fact about Tink: cash only, always
Tink is one of those rare customers who doesn’t just buy one item—she comes in and buys many pieces at once. She shops all kinds of gifts in our shop to share with others: handcrafted brass and silver jewelry, mudcloth textiles, olive wood hearts, beaded wire pieces, scarves, home décor, clothing, accessories, cultural pieces—whatever speaks to her heart for the people she loves.
And she’s always mindful about bringing us cash only—because she knows the card machine charges small businesses.
She will literally show up in our store with a bag full of cash to buy gifts for family, friends, and loved ones.
Cash only with Tink in our store—and we feel that love every single time.
That’s Ubuntu in real life. She doesn’t keep the beauty to herself—she spreads it. Our products become her way of saying, “I see you. I’m thinking of you. You matter.” And everywhere she travels, she turns simple moments into connection—one piece at a time, one person at a time, one act of kindness at a time.
Stocking Up: A Bag Full of Intention
Before her Costa Rica trip, Tink didn’t just grab one or two items. She came in with intention and left with a collection—heart keychains, cowrie shell earrings, mudcloth scarves, olive wood hearts, beaded pieces, and more. Each item was carefully chosen for someone specific in her life.
She knew exactly who needed what. She knew which friend would light up at a certain color. She knew which family member would treasure a piece of African culture. She knew which loved one needed to feel seen and remembered.
That’s the power of shopping with intention at Positively Africana By Aimee. It’s not about buying things. It’s about choosing meaning. It’s about saying: I know you. I honor you. I’m thinking of you.
And when Tink shops, she’s not just thinking about the people she loves—she’s thinking about the women in the Congo whose hands crafted these pieces. She’s thinking about the artisans in Kenya, Ivory Coast, and across Africa who poured their skill and soul into every detail.
She’s thinking about the mission.
Tink shopping at Positively Africana By Aimee caring big Positively Africana By Aimee Bag
Her Costa Rica Trip: Sharing Our Products, Sharing Our Mission
Tink spent two weeks in Costa Rica celebrating Chris’s 60th birthday—and she told me something that stayed in my heart: Positively Africana By Aimee was with her the whole journey.
She didn’t just pack outfits. She packed meaning. She packed gifts. She packed love.
She wore her favorite cowrie shell earrings from our shop, and she carried all those carefully chosen pieces everywhere she went—sharing them as little reminders of connection. A mudcloth scarf here. A heart keychain there. A piece of handcrafted jewelry. A home décor item. Each gift became a moment of care, a bridge between people, a small act that said: You matter. You are seen. You are loved.
That’s what happens when our products leave the store: they become conversation starters, bridges between people, and small acts of care that travel far beyond Northampton.
From Northampton to Tierra Amiga: Ubuntu Across Continents
On the last day of her trip, Tink visited Tierra Amiga, a family coffee farm high in the Tarrazú valley mountains. There, she met Lucidia and her 6-year-old daughter Ruth.
This is the part of the story that makes me pause—because it’s exactly what Black History Month calls us to remember: our culture is living, our stories travel, and our legacy shows up in the way we treat people.
Ruth was drawn to Tink’s earrings—the same handmade cowrie shell pieces you can find in our collection, crafted by artisans across Africa. Without hesitation, Tink took them off and gave them to Ruth.
And she didn’t stop there.
She shared the heart keychains too, because Ruth wanted to bring love back to her aunt and her friends. She shared the scarves. She shared the pieces that carried the story of African women, African artisans, African excellence.
Ruth’s eyes lit up. She held those pieces like they were treasure—because they are.
That’s Ubuntu. Love that multiplies. Connection that doesn’t end with one person. A 6-year-old girl in Costa Rica now carries a piece of African culture, a piece of our mission, a piece of Tink’s heart.
That’s the ripple effect.
Tink, Chris, Lucidia, and Ruth at Tierra Amiga—community across continents celebrating Chris’s birthday and share gifts from Positively Africana By Aimee shop with friends and family
Lucidia holding Positively Africana purple heart she got from Tink — Valentine’s love in action.
Tink learning the coffee process at Tierra Amiga in Costa Rica after spreading joy with Positively Africana By Aimee gifts.
Ruth wearing colorful beaded earrings from Positively Africana By Aimee at Tierra Amiga from Tink
Back Home at Positively Africana By Aimee, Located at Thornes Marketplace
What I love about this story is that it starts right here—inside our store at Positively Africana By Aimee (Level 2), Thornes Marketplace, Northampton, MA—and then it stretches outward.
A heart keychain becomes a moment of courage. A pair of earrings becomes a moment of belonging. A scarf becomes a moment of identity. A piece of home décor becomes a moment of pride. A simple gift becomes a bridge.
And every time that happens, our mission moves.
Every time Tink walks through our door, she reminds me why we do this work. She reminds me that shopping is an act of love. She reminds me that when you choose to support African artisans, when you choose to support women in the Congo, when you choose to give gifts with meaning—you’re not just buying something. You’re joining a movement.
You’re becoming a Tink.
Tink wearing everything Positively Africana By Aimee
This Is What We Mean by Legacy and Mission
Black History Month reminds us that our stories matter. Valentine’s Day reminds us that love is an action, not just a feeling. And Tink’s journey reminds us that when you buy from Positively Africana By Aimee, you’re part of something bigger.
Every purchase you make supports women entrepreneurs in the Congo. Every piece you wear carries a story of African artisans, African culture, and African excellence. Every gift you give is an act of love, representation, and global connection.
Tink carries our mission. She honors her past. She treasures her health through connection and community. And she spreads joy to every stranger she meets—knowing that when she gives our pieces, she’s giving more than a gift. She’s giving hope. She’s giving representation. She’s giving a piece of the movement.
How You Can Spread Love Like Tink This Valentine’s Day and Black History Month
Tink has taught us something powerful: love and legacy aren’t about grand gestures. They’re about showing up, paying attention, and giving with intention.
Here’s how you can spread Ubuntu and our mission, just like Tink:
Buy with intention
Choose a few meaningful pieces—handcrafted jewelry, mudcloth scarves, olive wood hearts, cultural wear—something for your best friend, something for your mom, something for the person who always shows up for you. Think about who needs to feel seen.
Give representation
When you give our pieces, you’re giving a story and a connection—not just an item. You’re saying: I see your culture. I honor your excellence. I support your mission.
Travel with the mission
Wear it, share it, and tell the story: 25% of profits support women entrepreneurs in the Congo. Let every piece you carry become a conversation about what matters.
Pay it forward
Look for the moment to make someone feel seen—and act. Maybe it’s a stranger. Maybe it’s someone you love. Maybe it’s a child whose eyes light up when you give them something handmade and real.
Support women in the Congo
Every purchase is an investment in women entrepreneurs and artists. Every time you shop with us, you’re changing lives on the other side of the world.
You Can Be a Tink Too
This Valentine’s Day, this Black History Month, and every day after—choose gifts with meaning. Choose products rooted in culture and crafted by women we support. Choose to be a messenger of our mission, just like Tink.
When you shop with us, you’re not just buying jewelry or gifts. You’re investing in women in the Congo. You’re spreading African culture across the world. You’re saying: I believe in legacy. I believe in connection. I believe in lifting each other up.
25% of every purchase supports women entrepreneurs in the Congo. That’s not a tagline. That’s a promise. That’s our mission.
Shop our collection and start your own story of kindness and impact.
Online: www.positivelyafricana.com
Nationwide shipping available. Free shipping on orders over $100.
Honour your past. Treasure your health. Spread joy. Support the mission.
Be like Tink. Bring cash. Bring intention. Bring love.
