Page 52 - The Digital Cloth holiday issue
P. 52

She is my inspiration and she has changed so many
                                                                                                                                                                                   women’s lives through basket weaving and keeping
                                                                                                                                                                                   up their traditional skills. She also has set up
                                                                                                                                                                                   various nursery schools close by to the weaving
                                                                                                                                                                                   groups so that the ladies can take their babies
                                                                                                                                                                                   whilst they work and be looked after. Genius in my
                                                                                                                                                                                   opinion!


                                                                                                                                                                                   My ladies in Machakos (70km from Nairobi) are
                                                                                                                                                                                   fruit and vegetable sellers by trade.  They work 12

                                                                                                                                                                                   hours a day on the stall. They weave the baskets at
                                                                                                                                                                                   the market place to keep them busy while waiting
                                                                                                                                                                                   for customers. They teach their daughters to weave
                                                                                                                                                                                   and it is then passed down from generation to
                                                                                                                                                                                   generation. Only the women make baskets in
                                                                                                                                                                                   Kenya.
                                                                                                                                                                                   With the sales from weaving baskets for DD I am
                                                                                                                                                                                   told has made a massive impact on their livelihood
                                                                                                                                                                                   and generates enough money for them to put their

                                                                                                                                                                                   children through education, buy water tanks, goats
                                                                                                                                                                                   for milk, ruracio  (Which is a traditional saving
                                                                                                                                                                                   plan like a wedding or a party) also
                                                                                                                                                                                   self-empowerment, self-esteem and being
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