The Kazuri Story
Kazuri was founded in 1975 by Lady Susan Wood, the daughter of British missionaries. Lady Susan and her husband had previously founded the East African Flying Doctor Service, which expanded into the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF). She wanted to help the women in Karen, a rural suburb of Nairobi, learn a skill that would allow them to care for themselves and their extended families. She originally taught two women the painstaking process of making ceramic beads in her garden shed using clay taken from near the base of Mt. Kenya. Kazuri has since grown to employ 350 women in 2008, with at least twenty women being trained regularly, ready for full-time employment as demand increases. The workshop itself is now located in an area that was once part of Karen von Blixen’s (of Out of Africa fame) coffee plantation, and includes several buildings, each built by local workers using local materials. Most Kazuri employees would tell you the company has transformed their lives. Kazuri provides good salaries, excellent working conditions, and a sense of self-sufficiency in a country where financial security, especially for women, is rare. Some of the ways that Kazuri fulfills its mission to provide and sustain employment opportunities for disadvantaged members of Kenyan society include:
Salaries are significantly higher than what a typical Kenyan woman with little education can earn, allowing workers to pay for their children’s education.
The women earn annual salary increases based on merit and length of employment.
The overtime rate is two times the regular salary, as opposed to the traditional rate of 1.5 times.
Tea breaks are provided three times a day.
An on-site clinic staffed by trained, full-time nurses is available for the women and their children.
Medicines and hygiene products are provided at no cost to employees.
Kazuri pays 80% of costs for hospitalization of employees and their children.
Speakers come monthly to educate the women about issues such as birth control, HIV/AIDS, malaria, etc.
A Savings and Loan has been established for the women. This has allowed many to purchase housing, land, cattle, etc. The added benefit of this program is the sense of pride and accomplishment that the women receive when they are able to do these things for themselves.
As word spreads globally of the beauty and unique quality of Kazuri jewelry, steps are in place to handle the increased demand. Kazuri designs have been perfected to compete world-wide to suit every fashion in every country for every season. This “small and beautiful” product is providing the means to self-sufficiency for many women.
