Isn’t it amazing when mastering a craft becomes a pathway to financial independence and community leadership? For Nampaiyo Lepartingat, this was her reality.
As a mother of seven from Kalama Community Conservancy, Samburu County, her daily life revolved around caring for her family and managing their livestock. The unpredictability of livestock sales often left her financially strained, relying solely on her husband’s income. However, Nampaiyo sought ways to improve her family’s financial stability.
Everything changed five years ago when she discovered BeadWORKS through a friend. Intrigued by the prospect of earning additional income without leaving her home or livestock unattended, she eagerly embraced the opportunity to learn. Joining a Kalama women’s beading group, Nampaiyo quickly distinguished herself as a diligent and skilled artisan. Her talent in creating beautiful pieces and natural leadership capabilities rapidly became evident, leading to her recognition as a starbeader. She is one of 108 starbeaders and acts as a link between BeadWORKS and the beaders. Her responsibilities extend to serving as a supervisor and providing support, guidance, and leadership to the group members.
Through BeadWORKS’ support and training initiatives, Nampaiyo honed her beading skills and gained an understanding of financial management and entrepreneurship. The training offered through the Rangelands SACCO equipped her with essential knowledge in savings and credit management. This enabled her to invest in her businesses, including setting up a successful chicken-rearing business and a shop with mobile money services. With her earnings, Nampaiyo built a modern home for her family, replacing their traditional grass-thatched dwelling, and also provided her children with better living conditions, including access to electricity for smooth learning and security.
Since 2015, BeadWORKS has become a driving force for change among 1,200 pastoralist women in northern Kenya. By leveraging the inbuilt skills of these pastoralist women, BeadWORKS has effectively turned their artisanal craft into a sustainable source of income. For Nampaiyo and the other women, market linkages have been created locally and internationally, expanding their economic opportunities. This increased market access has amplified the impact of BeadWORKS, leading to further economic growth and empowerment for the women.
BeadWORKS, a handicraft initiative under MashinaniWORKS, harnesses the traditional beading skills of women in northern Kenya. This business line provides pastoralist women from nine NRT member conservancies with the opportunity to transform their cultural craft into a vital source of income. In doing so, BeadWORKS helps these women support their families while contributing millions of shillings in conservation fees that fund community development projects.