Sabahar began in 2004 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in the home of its Founder, Kathy Marshall and her family. The humble workshop employed one weaver, a couple women doing natural dyeing and a dream to introduce silk production and processing into Ethiopia. Through the years, their growth has been steady. Almost 20 years later, they are proud to directly employ 98 people at their workshop, work with 75 weavers in their homes, cooperate with three weaving workshops and provide part-time employment for hundreds of spinners and silk producers. 

Their passion is not to just ensure hand weaving and spinning livelihoods are respected and preserved, but more importantly, to strengthen and diversify traditional skills so they will still be relevant for years to come. This means practical innovation and investment in technologies and capacity building for artisans, as well as ensuring their products are globally available, competitive and desired. The highest quality possible in terms of materials and workmanship is their promise to their customers. 

In addition, they are committed to sustainable, transparent and responsible production practices. In their effort to be a model of eco-friendly manufacturing, they use such innovations such as bio-gas to produce fuel for their dyeing department, solar heating of water,  repurposing of textile wastes, and treatment and recycling of water discharge from the dyeing process.