As school begins in the U.S., I’m aware that several of The Leakey Collection team members have children achieving milestones this school year, beginning kindergarten, high school and college. I don’t know about you, but when I was a child, blank notebooks, the smell of newly sharpened pencils, and pristine, perfect crayons that hadn’t been broken yet, always held the promise of new beginnings and new friendships. Anticipation of new opportunities. Opportunities that offer fresh starts, and a chance to improve one’s life, much as the gift of opportunity that we are proud to offer the Maasai.

Maasai children are now educated in government or missionary schools, and this costs money. Modern health care also costs money, and transportation for provisions for a once nomadic society now comes at a price. We have seen a future where the children will have to move to the city to find work, and the customs and culture of the once proud Maasai will fade quickly into history.

However, thanks to the provision of the Maasai women, who work under the acacia trees at mobile work sites, their children are able to attend school and have health care more readily available to them. In addition, 5% of all our sales goes back to the communities in the form of health benefits, infrastructure and education.

We’re grateful for your partnership in helping provide education to many Maasai children and wish you all fresh starts and new opportunities!

Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and Carrie Chapman Catt. At first glance, it doesn’t appear that these women have anything in common with the Maasai women who bead Zulugrass.  But as we look at the history of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, commemorated by Women’s Equality Day on August 26, we find some similarities.  

The peaceful civil rights movement by women had its formal beginnings in 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention, in Seneca Falls, New York. Among other things, the Seneca Falls Convention asserted that “women should have the right to preach, to be educated, to teach, and to earn a living.”  Of course, the movement had its opponents.  In the same way, when we struggled to bring the work to the Maasai women, the men who remained in the communities opposed the women’s newfound economic independence.
 
The observance of Women’s Equality Day not only celebrates “the passage of the 19th Amendment but also calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.” In Kenya, the Maasai men in those communities where work stations were set up gradually came to realize the tremendous financial help the women were bringing to their families, and now they enthusiastically embrace their wives’ and daughters’ ability to earn an income.

The women use the income for everything, from the basics of food, education fees, and medical expenses, to improving their lifestyles by buying their own herds of goats, purchasing land and starting their own businesses. Just as the pioneers in the suffrage movement shaped history, the Maasai women have also influenced their world.  The communities became more financially and politically stable, small businesses began to flourish as more money was available to spend locally, and communities became more environmentally aware.

Join us in celebrating the extraordinary accomplishments of women in America and throughout the world. Give yourself, or a significant woman in your life, a pat on the back, as well as provide the gift of opportunity to the Maasai women of Kenya. Check out our gorgeous Zuluwood jewelry – looks great with your end-of-summer wardrobe and on into fall! Now through August 31, save 20% on your entire order by entering the code WE0809 at check-out.
 

GUEST BLOGGER: Kristan Fazio, The Leakey Collection

It was exciting to read the review in The Eco Chic blog today about the childproof nature of Zulugrass jewelry. Although my children are a bit past the infant stage, I certainly remember how they would tug and pull at any brightly colored “pretty” in their reach!

Calley Pate, who authors the blog, pointed out in her review, “I have to admit I was skeptical when I first opened the package.  They look so delicate and breakable.  As a mother of 2 children (one infant) I was sure it was going to be broken in the first day.  Well, to my surprise it’s almost one month later and I’m SOLD!  I’ve worn them almost everyday and I love them.  I love the versatility and the strength.”  There is nothing like a happy Mommy singing your praise.

Her story reminds me of one of my favorite customers, Felina Gallagher, President of Upper Breast Side in New York City, who has carried Zulugrass since 2007. Gallagher says that her customers love the fact that this jewelry is not made in China and that it supports other mothers who have less opportunities.  She also suggests to nursing mothers a little trick, “to avoid that infamous boob lift in line at Zabars, wear Zulugrass on your wrist. Whichever wrist has the beautiful, bright strands is the side that is due for nursing!”

If only Zulugrass had been around when my children were small. Their current activities include swimming, surfing, and soccer, among other things; which all contribute to this mommy’s busy schedule. I’ve personally found that my Zulugrass has been able to keep up with it all!

The Eco Chic’s mission is to search for ways to reduce environmental impact on the Earth by sharing ideas, products, and services with the world. We are honored that she chose to share our story with her audience. Check out her complete blog about Zulugrass as well as other ideas about being a “green mommy” at www.theecochic.com/