Tuesday was another day of shopping. This time the focus was on ministry. The first place of two that we went to is called Kazuri Beads. This is a factory and a store that makes and sells pottery and ceramic beads. When we got there we headed straight into the factory. Immediately when I thought factory I pictured a big warehouse with florescent lights and big noisy machines. What we found was quite the opposite.
There were tables and tables filled with Kenyan women hand crafting each individual bead. There weren’t even assembly lines. It was amazing to see the women forming and painting the hundreds of thousands of beads this place manufactures.
Kazuri Beads was started by a British family and was meant to provide good work for Kenyan people. Today, there are more than a hundred families living totally self-sustained through their work at the shop. These people working there are now able to provide for their families without begging on the street or asking for aid from an orginization that cannot sustain them for life.
The second place we went is similar in that it is a store and factory only this place deals with fabrics. This place is called Amani Ya Juu. This store is actually living quarters, factory, store and small restaurant that is run solely by refugee women. The women mostly come from the surrounding countries such as Uganda, Ethiopia and Somalia. These woman are safe and are self sufficient. Also, their work is amazing. They die their own fabrics and use them for many different projects. They quilt quite a bit, which I loved.
It was great to see some different approaches to aid in this country. Both of these places are helping people to become experienced in a trade and self-sufficient. It was also really cool to be able to buy some gifts at places like these where you know the proceeds will be going to benefit people honestly.
Posted by dani at June 24, 2004 05:25 PM