NOT JUST BEADS:
NABIKI’S
STORY OF
EMPOWERMENT
MEET
NABIKI LESUPER from Kalama Conservancy. She is 49 years old, married, and a mother of 8 children; four boys and four girls.
Nabiki says that before she joined BeadWORKS, life was so difficult. She is part of the Samburu tribe that have inhabited northern Kenya for centuries. It’s a vast arid environment with very little rainfall. The Samburu people depend on livestock for their sustenance and share their land with rich and diverse wildlife, including endangered species like Rhinos, Grevy Zebra, and a herd of 7,000 free-ranging elephant in northern Kenya. However, sources of income were scarce. Her family solely depended on her husband, a nomadic pastoralist. He would have to sell livestock once in a while to provide for their needs. A balanced diet was scarce, and they were unable to attend to health issues. Ten years ago, Nabiki joined BeadWORKS Kenya, a handicraft business that harnesses the rich beading tradition of the women of northern Kenya. She initially resisted joining,
14
