The Maasai are a pastoral group of people that
live in the magnificent Great Rift Valley of Kenya
and Tanzania. A tall, proud, and graceful people
adorned in colorful clothing and ornaments, the
Maasai still keep their traditions intact - herding
cattle and living off the land as modernization
changes the world around them.
live in the magnificent Great Rift Valley of Kenya
and Tanzania. A tall, proud, and graceful people
adorned in colorful clothing and ornaments, the
Maasai still keep their traditions intact - herding
cattle and living off the land as modernization
changes the world around them.
In short order, the women learned that they
could bring their babies and toddlers with
them and they would be paid by the piece as
they chose to work. As word passed through
the Maasai community, women started walking
as much as two hours each way to have their
first chance to earn money. Now over 1400
hundred Maasai women are making Zulugrass
while continuing to lead their lives in their
traditional life style, and they can use their
income to better their lives as they wish.
Some have been able to reunite their families
after earning enough to purchase cattle to
restock herds and one woman has bought her
own goat herd.
Philip and Katy Leakey's inspiration gave
birth to Zulugrass - the beautiful jewelry
handcrafted by experts, the Maasai women of
Kenya. Zulugrass continues to provide much
needed and desired opportunity for these
wonderful women and their families.
could bring their babies and toddlers with
them and they would be paid by the piece as
they chose to work. As word passed through
the Maasai community, women started walking
as much as two hours each way to have their
first chance to earn money. Now over 1400
hundred Maasai women are making Zulugrass
while continuing to lead their lives in their
traditional life style, and they can use their
income to better their lives as they wish.
Some have been able to reunite their families
after earning enough to purchase cattle to
restock herds and one woman has bought her
own goat herd.
Philip and Katy Leakey's inspiration gave
birth to Zulugrass - the beautiful jewelry
handcrafted by experts, the Maasai women of
Kenya. Zulugrass continues to provide much
needed and desired opportunity for these
wonderful women and their families.
A terrible drought that ended in 2001 lasted
several years and devastated pasture lands. The
Maasai's livelihood disappeared as their cattle
died. The men had to drive the few remaining
cattle hundreds of miles away to search for
better grazing and it became evident that the
women desperately needed a way to obtain
medical supplies, and to feed, clothe, and
educate their children.
several years and devastated pasture lands. The
Maasai's livelihood disappeared as their cattle
died. The men had to drive the few remaining
cattle hundreds of miles away to search for
better grazing and it became evident that the
women desperately needed a way to obtain
medical supplies, and to feed, clothe, and
educate their children.
Philip and Katy Leakey, who live among the
Maasai in the Kenyan bush, wanted to help
their neighbors and to provide work
opportunities without changing their
culture. They came up with an imaginative
idea that would utilize the excellent
beading abilities of the Maasai women, and
it used grass, an available sustainable
resource, as the primary element.
Soon the women were harvesting grass, one
blade at a time. The long grass was dried
and cut into bead-size pieces and dyed
lovely hues - blues, greens, reds, yellows,
pinks, purples, earth and natural tones -
which were then strung into necklaces and
bracelets. The Leakeys added brilliant
Czech glass beads to their designs, mixing
them with the soft luster of the grass
beads and giving sparkle and a
contemporary flair to the jewelry.
Zulugrass was born.
Maasai in the Kenyan bush, wanted to help
their neighbors and to provide work
opportunities without changing their
culture. They came up with an imaginative
idea that would utilize the excellent
beading abilities of the Maasai women, and
it used grass, an available sustainable
resource, as the primary element.
Soon the women were harvesting grass, one
blade at a time. The long grass was dried
and cut into bead-size pieces and dyed
lovely hues - blues, greens, reds, yellows,
pinks, purples, earth and natural tones -
which were then strung into necklaces and
bracelets. The Leakeys added brilliant
Czech glass beads to their designs, mixing
them with the soft luster of the grass
beads and giving sparkle and a
contemporary flair to the jewelry.
Zulugrass was born.
