About our Project
Basecamp Maasai Brand is an economic enterprise that began in 2003 with the aim of empowering disadvantaged women’s groups in the Talek region of the Maasai Mara in Kenya, and to maintain and enhance the handicraft skills, knowledge and designs of the Maasai's famous bead and leather work. Today we work with 199 women making beaded and leather handicraft with a unique fusion between traditional Maasai designs and contemporary style and by that, creating a source of income for the women while supporting and maintaining their traditional handicraft skills.
The Maasai have a rich heritage in Arts & Craft, most notably in bead work, where many of their traditional ceremonies and religious beliefs are expressed in colour and pattern. In recent times this has been exploited by other tribes who produce bead work for the tourist industry, so much so that the Maasai are out produced and are in the position where they regularly buy goods from these groups to sell in their local areas. This not only impacts their own cultural traditions but it affects their financial independency too.
The aim of this project is to empower the Talek women by paying them directly for their beadwork, thereby giving them automony over what they spend their money on and also enabling them to choose when and where they work. Our supportive working practice allows each of the women to opt to work from home or from our centre, as they wish.
All the work they produce is designed in house, based on traditional patterns and colours but often blended with western designs, and care is taken to ensure each item is quality checked before going on sale. The women's training takes place at our arts and craft centre, The Enjoolata Centre, situated at Basecamp Masai Mara. The women live in the nearby villages and come to work at the centre five days a week, where they are arranged into five different groups. Their products are sold to visiting guests at Basecamp and also via our website, at selected outlets and as customized orders. The women are involved in the process of pricing - the cultural significance of the product being one of several influencing factors - and have input on colours and designs too.
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All products are based on traditional designs and are made by hand.
We utilize not only traditional beads but also scrap metal and waste. Even the thread we use is from disused plastic food bags that are made into three strands and twined together by hand. It takes a bit of extra time to tie a knot and some patience to thread a loop, but that handmade quality is part of the beauty of the work we produce and character that we are trying to preserve.
We utilize not only traditional beads but also scrap metal and waste. Even the thread we use is from disused plastic food bags that are made into three strands and twined together by hand. It takes a bit of extra time to tie a knot and some patience to thread a loop, but that handmade quality is part of the beauty of the work we produce and character that we are trying to preserve.
Our fair trade agreement ensures that the crafts person receives 75% of the retail price to Maasai Brand, less the material cost.Typically their earnings are used for improved housing, health, children's schooling and clothing. With almost two hundred women working with us, we are making an extremely positive change in the area and the project has proved to be of vital importance to them. To read more about the success of the project and individual case stories, please click here.
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Future Ambitions
The Enjolaata Centre is a hub of activity. It's an award winning, purpose built exhibition space, craft workshop and shop and a place of lively chatter from the women who gather there daily, to make wonderful things to sell. Our customers often come to us having stayed at our safari camps, continuing to support us through purchasing via our website once they get home, but we also supply many wonderful retailers around the world, working with them on exclusive designs and collections. Developing new relationships with international retailers is a key ambition of ours and we welcome collaborations with like minded businesses. We also have plans in place to expand and develop the retail space at the centre to showcase the full product range. If you're a retailer interested in partnering with us or have any queries about the work we do, feel free to drop us a line using the Contact Us page, we look forward to hearing from you.
Future Ambitions
The Enjolaata Centre is a hub of activity. It's an award winning, purpose built exhibition space, craft workshop and shop and a place of lively chatter from the women who gather there daily, to make wonderful things to sell. Our customers often come to us having stayed at our safari camps, continuing to support us through purchasing via our website once they get home, but we also supply many wonderful retailers around the world, working with them on exclusive designs and collections. Developing new relationships with international retailers is a key ambition of ours and we welcome collaborations with like minded businesses. We also have plans in place to expand and develop the retail space at the centre to showcase the full product range. If you're a retailer interested in partnering with us or have any queries about the work we do, feel free to drop us a line using the Contact Us page, we look forward to hearing from you.
