Beadwork from Kenya

Mary Warindi, a Kenyan from an informal settlement (slum) in Nairobi, is the creator of the amazing beadwork pillow covers/wall hangings pictured below. I met Mary and her son, Elvis, in March 2014 when Lois Shaw (of Africa By Design Safaris) introduced me to, in her words, "one of the hardest working women I know". Mary is a very young, single, mother of three - Elvis, Mercy and Daisy. Even with carrying three jobs, Mary was struggling to feed, clothe and pay the school fees. Everyone pays to go to school in Kenya and if you can't afford to pay, you don't go. After offering to help Mary with the fees, we have kept in touch ever since.  

This past March, on our second trip to Kenya, Mary invited us to her home for African tea and chipaties! She was so proud of her small two room immaculate house made of tin and two by fours that she had paid for herself and outfitted inside. She definitely would win the award for "best use of space"!  In spite of the many challenges that Mary has endured in her life, her strength and determination have allowed her to make a better life for herself and her children.  

Mary now has a donated laptop and with the help of Lois, she is running a business selling her beautiful hand made beadwork creations! We have quite a variety of Mary's pillow cases/wall hangings for sale.  They are priced at $55 for an animal pattern and $45 for the geometrics.  Please contact us if you are interested in supporting Mary and having a wonderful piece of Kenya in your home!