Weaving Opportunities: Kamba Women & The Drylands Natural Resources Centre

Kamba Women Weavers coming together to weave baskets.

For generations, Kamba women in Eastern Kenya have masterfully woven beautiful, durable baskets from natural sisal, essential for daily tasks. This weaving skill, passed down through generations, now provides a vital source of income.

We're thrilled to partner with the Drylands Natural Resources Centre (DNRC) in Maiuni Village to bring these new sisal baskets to our store, creating income for these talented women. This is our very first order with this group, and as part of our "test kitchen" approach, we hope you'll love these sturdy, beautiful baskets as much as we do, allowing us to continue this project, build their skills, and ensure a sustainable, year-round income.

I'm personally ecstatic to share these baskets, a dream many years in the making. The backstory: In 2013, as part of my Conservation and Environmental Science degree from UW-Milwaukee, I implemented a soil productivity project in Kenya. Those three months were unforgettable. Beyond real-life scientific research, I immersed myself in a new culture, falling in love with its people and food. Now, over a decade later, I finally get to work again with my dear friend, Theresia Mutua, Program Director of the DNRC.

Learning how to weave alongside my neighbors.

More About the DNRC

The DNRC is a non-profit organization supporting over 800 households in reforestation efforts within Makueni County's drylands in Eastern Kenya. Their mission is to improve livelihoods in one of Kenya's most marginalized counties by developing and sharing innovative models in agroforestry and sustainable agriculture. This includes native seedling propagation, cover cropping, and sustainable harvesting. Their work extends beyond land-based efforts, encompassing income generation projects, building social capital, and promoting food sovereignty.

Women using sisal baskets to carry construction materials to install a water cistern in one of the DNRC members' home.