On a normal day, you’ll find her sitting cross-legged low to the ground on a flattened carton that shields her from the dust and rough soil beneath just outside her manyatta in Ngare Ndare. A shallow container beside her is filled with glass beads—blue, black, white, red, yellow, and green. A thin wire rests between her fingers, and she threads each bead onto it. It’s clear what she is making will turn out incredibly good, as her arms are lined with bangles and bracelets, her neck heavy with lkiripa (neckpieces)—layers she’s added over time, made by her own hands.
Sometimes she works alone. On other days, she is with her group of 10 women, beading as they talk or sing their favorite Maa songs.
Meroni Leruso never knew she would become the remarkable woman she is today. She remembers growing up in a patriarchal society that often overlooked the girl child – a woman’s value was to take care of her children and conduct household duties. Marital problems from their polygamous family cost Meroni her right to quality education, and long before she could hardly memorize the alphabetical order, she was taken out of school – Nursery school.
She had no option but to stay home and help her mother whenever she could. On school days, while carrying out tasks like collecting firewood or fetching water, she would encounter other children on their way to school – a dream that remained just that.
At just 14 years old, life threw Meroni another harsh blow when she was married off against her will. While other girls her age were attending school, she found herself thrust into the demanding roles of a wife and mother.
Meroni would later find herself doing small daily hustles like farming for others and selling firewood to make ends meet. Eventually, she separated from her husband, which left her facing the challenge of raising her children on her own. At times, she had to leave them behind to go hustle and had to pay someone to care for them, which was a heavy burden for her.
Her paths crossed with women from her village who were already BeadWORKS artisans. As a cultural activity associated with her community, she felt the urge to join them. In 2021, the single mother of three joined BeadWORKS, aiming to earn extra money to support her children and cover household expenses.
As she beaded, BeadWORKS became more than a source of income. She has embraced conservation, enjoying the process of making orders that require loom beading and bracelet-making, with lion and zebra-inspired colorways. Additionally, the leadership training and exposure tours she received through BeadWORKS have helped her grow into a respected leader among her beading group and in the broader community. Meroni now holds the title of Star Beader in her group at Il Ngwesi Conservancy, where she serves as the point of contact and ensures the quality of the assigned products meets standards before sending them to the BeadWORKS office.
“I am very confident now; I speak in big community meetings and contribute to issues that affect the community and me. I now get invited to talk to women in my village and am often hired by partner organizations to train others in beading.”
Meroni has also contributed to peace efforts that have helped conflicting groups, like the Samburu and Maasai communities, mend their relationships. But nothing prepared her for the day her phone rang with a call from the State House in 2016, and she was acknowledged for her contribution to peace efforts. This was an incredibly surreal and emotional experience for Meroni that filled her with a sense of pride and validation for the hard work she voluntarily put in.
Meroni is now a skilled artisan, thriving in her craft, making products for the local and international markets. Her vision for the next 2–3 years is to run a business, further educate her children, and own a plot of land.