KAZURI BEADS

Kazuri deals in the making and sale of handmade ceramic beads and pottery in Nairobi. The factory is located along Mbagathi Ridge in Karen Nairobi. They have stores in major shopping centres around the country.

Kazuri is Swahili for “small and beautiful”. Kazuri began in 1975 as a tiny workshop experimenting in making ceramin beads made by hand. The factory is located in what used to be part of the Karen Blixen Estate. The founder, Lady Susan Wood, started with two Kenyan women and soon discovered that there were many other women in the villages around Nairobi, most of whom were single mothers, who were in great need of regular employment. Driven by the desire to provide more opportunities, Mark and Regina Newman purchased the company in the year 2000, as they saw potential in the venture.

Every bead which makes up a necklace or bracelet is shaped by hand by one of the 300 local women employed by Kazuri. The beads are then kiln fired once, glazed and fired again before being strung. Founded by the late Lady Susan Wood, Kazuri is still located where she first started creating employment for struggling single mothers back in 1975. KAZURI BEADS