BEADWORKS

MATUNDA GATE, KENYA

BEADWORKS

© Erin Moroney

WE ARE IBU IN ACTION:

  • The women of BeadWORKS are always on the move with their traditional pastoral lifestyle, so the Ibu Foundation donated 1,000 bead kits with the necessary equipment (pliers, wire cutters, needles, and thread) so that the artisans can continue their craft as they migrate.

BeadWORKS is a handicraft business that harnesses the rich beading tradition of the women of northern Kenya. They work with community conservancies to provide training, resources and support to women so that the they can participate in the BeadWORKS’ community-to-market value chain. The income the artisans earn from beading enables them to survive and improve their families’ lives without resorting to environmentally damaging activities such as charcoal production, or overburdening their fragile grasslands with sheep and goats.

But BeadWORKS is about more than beads. It is about empowerment. BeadWORKS takes advantage of being with the women to improve their skills and to talk about hygiene, about their children, about savings, about business. When a woman understands how BeadWORKS works as a business, she can apply the same principles to other parts of her life. BeadWORKS develops women who can speak for themselves, who can do things for themselves, who have savings, who can think about the future, who can plan for their kids. Empowered women have the confidence to stand for Board seats in their Conservancies, advocate for conservation and promote investments that improve livelihoods.

With recently sent funding to Beadworks in Kenya to create a marketing video that will highlight the authenticity and quality of work of Beadworks. Award winning filmmaker, Martin Buzora, has agreed to take on this project, as he understands their history and believes in the work they are doing. Beadworks let us know that the field shooting is complete, and they are currently working on final edits. 

Donate Here

 © Erin Moroney Photography

© Erin Moroney Photography

© Erin Moroney Photography