Wow – what a start to our trip!

After arriving in Nairobi with Margaret, my colleague at Shared Interest, we were keen to start our visits and meet some of the fair trade businesses we lend to from our head office back in Newcastle.

Rachel, who heads up our Kenyan office, picked us up on the first morning and we headed off in the direction of Ngong town, which is south west of Nairobi beyond the mountainous region of the Ngong hills – where we were looking forward to meeting Kenyan bead business, Namayiana.

Having driven along very bumpy, dusty, cow-filled roads, we eventually reached the area where the Namayiana women are based. As we got out of the car, they immediately stood up from where they were working under the trees, assembled themselves and began to address us with a welcome song.

Rachel had received the same warm greeting when she travelled to meet the 112-strong female group in the summer to tell them their export credit facility had been granted – a big deal for a business that had struggled previously to pre-finance their orders. However, the story goes further than this, as their enthusiasm also captured the hearts of staff at charitable arm Shared Interest Foundation, who subsequently helped Namayiana realise their dream by providing them with a much-needed grant to attend a trade show in Italy.

So perhaps this goes a little way in explaining this incredibly emotional and very powerful greeting, after which each woman lined up and took their turn to shake our hands and kiss us on each cheek, making sure we felt at home.

There is an immense pride in the Maasai tribe not least borne out of their intricate beadwork for which they are fast gaining an enhanced profile.

We learnt more from group leader, Agnes, whose words were expertly translated into English by two of the group so we were able to communicate quite easily.

We learnt of the history of mothers passing down their beadwork skills to their daughters, to the fact that they are keen to follow the market for new products and diversify as far as necessary to stay ahead of the jewellery / handicraft markets. They are also very competent business women with an eye on the long term future of their business and it would seem that the only male influence is in an advisory capacity when consideration is given to buying new land, or building property etc.

Namayiana are very neatly positioned between the great history of their tribe, and a world where diversification, 21st Century communication methods and professional business practices are demanded.

Of the 112, only 10 of the women can read. As the business has developed, this has caused problems sometimes in terms of communicating with customers and understanding written instructions for new products. However, this has been somewhat alleviated by the women earning the money needed to educate their children, many of whom are now able to read and help their mothers to progress.

What is even more incredible is that the current workforce is managed entirely by joint committee decisions, without disagreement.

Agnes told us that one of their concerns is that if a member of their tribe was to be taken poorly and require hospitalisation, they would not be able to communicate with a doctor. Rather than demand that the women learn to speak Swahili or English, their aim is that the next generation of children will grow up not only with the Maasai skills, but to be professionals such as doctors and teachers, and therefore eliminate this communication problem. Their high hopes for this generation are all underpinned by a pride in their heritage and developing the skills sets passed on to them by their parents.

They told us how grateful they are to Shared Interest for having faith in them and helping them to grow and develop, something they are very keen to continue with.

We had some laughs about how we felt so drab next to them in our plain workwear, whilst they seemed to be walking rainbows adorned with every colour you can imagine, proudly displaying among their other jewellery, the pendant that marks which age set they belong to, hence their position within the tribe.

After our many questions about their business and their lifestyle, they then took us to their shop to look at, and (more importantly) buy some of their wares. They see this as a vital source of promotion, knowing full well that we would be unable to bring such wonderful trinkets back home without telling everyone about their origin and the fascinating women who produce them.

Finally, they took us to see a manytatta, which is one of the traditional Maasai huts, which the women make themselves out of wood and mud. This was separated into two rooms, one for the animals, and one for the family to occupy, plus cook their meals in. The women build these huts, and erect one big bed for the man of the house to sleep on, whilst they and the children occupy a smaller bed on the opposite side of the room.

Having seen this, we were presented with a beautiful mirror for us to display in our office in the UK, as a reminder of our visit and a symbol of their gratitude.

It is almost surreal to meet the people who up until now have only ever existed to me in photographs, and video footage. To talk to them face to face about their history, their work and family life and their aims for the future was an experience we will never forget; and quite rightly so.

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