The Maasai people of Kenya sustain their community by making beautiful jewelry and home goods from surrounding resources.


Images: flickr

In 2001 over 4 million Kenyans were at risk of starvation because of a terrible drought. This drought had a damaging impact on the livelihood of farmers, who were unable to grow food to support their families. In order to survive the men of the Kenyan Maasai tribe had to leave the women and children behind to search for grazing lands for their cattle. This left husband and wife team Philip and Katy Leakey, who were already living among the Maasai people, to care for over 100 Maasai women and children.

The Leakeys knew that they couldn’t provide food, housing, school and medical fees for the remaining Maasai people alone, so that’s when they came up with the idea for The Leakey Collection. This collection would change the entire culture of the Maasai people, and would give the women a chance to rebuild their livelihoods and their community.

The Leakey Collection features jewelry, accessories and home décor that are handmade by the Maasai women. When the women first heard about the opportunity to support their families by making jewelry, some walked as far as two hours each day just to earn their wages. Philip and Katy solved this problem by creating work stations right in the center of the Maasai community where the women could work and watch their children at the same time.

These work stations have helped hundreds of families to have a steady income, and many have been able to buy goats and cattle for their farming needs. Now over 1400 Maasai women are employed by the Leakey foundation, and a few men have joined in as well!



Maasai women harvesting Zulugrass. Zulugrass is a sustainable grass that grows abundantly in Kenya. The women harvest the grass, one blade at a time, and then dry, cut and string it to make necklaces, earrings and bracelets.





Zulugrass jewelry being strung together by the Maasai women.



A vibrant Zulugrass necklace. Besides looking great, the jewelry also supports a great cause. 100% of the profit from the Beads for Learning Bracelets goes towards paying for local Kenyan teachers’ salaries.





The Maasai artisans also make home goods from sustainably harvested hardwood.



Two Maasai men make trays from fallen Acacia wood.



Philip and Katy Leakey with two Maasai residents.

The Leakey Collection is kind of a big deal, isn’t it? Not only does it provide over 1200 retail outlets with beautiful green products, but it also helps the Maasai people sustain their community. If you’re interesting in learning more about the collection or the Maasai residents you can check out the Leaky Collection blog.