Kazuri Beads

I'm working on a new seed bead lariat right now using Kazuri beads as my two focal beads.  I use quite a lot of Kazuri beads from Kenya and paper beads from Uganda in my jewelry.  I hand out brochures with my Kazuri jewelry and I'm out - I need to order more.  I was searching through their website and thought I'd draw attention to how this Fair Trade Organization started.  Its rather fascinating how one person had an idea that has now turned into such a positive impact to others.

The Kazuri Founder, Lady Susan Wood was born (1918) in a mud hut in an African village. Her parents were missionaries from England in the Ituri Forest. Lady Wood was sent back to England to be educated and married Michael Wood, a surgeon. They came to Kenya in 1947. They were dedicated to making a difference and Lady Wood started a coffee plantation on the Karen Blixen estate, famous from the award winning movie "Out of Africa" , at the foot of the Ngon'g Hills, about 30 minutes from the bustling Nairobi city center in Kenya. Lady Wood was a visionary, an unsung hero of her time. She assisted her husband in founding the East African Flying Doctor Service, which expanded into the African Medical Research Foundation (AMREF) of which Michael Wood was Director General for 29 years. Michael Wood was knighted in 1985.

The Kazuri workshop started with a couple of employees and has grown to over 370 women, mostly single mothers. It is equipped with a Clinic, providing free medical care for the employees and their immediate family. Kazuri also absorbs 80% of the medical bills outside the Factory Clinic.

I only touched on the highlights. There is a lot more info about this non-profit, Fair Trade Organization at: