Make your plans to spend a very special evening on March 10 from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm! Both Katy and Philip Leakey are here in California and are offering a rare opportunity to hear them discuss the extensive effect that Fair Trade purchases have on local communities and why it’s the future in providing sustainable solutions to such countries as Africa. The event will be held at Zero Minus Plus, “a part of the Fred Segal retail business” in Santa Monica, California.

Fair Trade provides the means for “employment to thousands that live in poverty allowing them to feed and educate their children and to become financially independent” -Katy & Philip Leakey

A business that wishes to be involved with a fair trade organization such as the one that has certified us, Fair Trade Federation,  must undergo rigorous certification qualifications and procedures to evaluate their business practices. Not only does a company need to guarantee a “living wage” to workers employed by or contracted by the company, but also invest either time, money, or assist a community in ways outside of the Fair Trade business; i.e. building infrastructures, helping schools, etc., among other things. On a previous blog,  Katy discusses in more detail how it works.

Now you have the chance to hear Katy and Philip personally tell you stories about how Fair Trade practices have impacted and changed the lives of individual Maasai women and their families!  Zeros Plus Minus is located at 500 Broadway in Santa Monica, California. If you need further information, you may call The Leakey Collection at 877.532.5392. We hope you’re able to join us for a very informative, enjoyable evening!

February is all about hearts. Pink hearts, red hearts, sentimental hearts, funny hearts, frilly hearts and most importantly, HEALTHY HEARTS.   This Friday, February 5, Americans will participate in National Wear Red Day, a simple, powerful way to raise awareness of the No.1 killer of women in the United States.

Both the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women and the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute websites have valuable information about how to be heart healthy, to know your risk for heart disease and the unique symptoms of heart attacks in women.

According to Go Red for Women, here are some signs a heart attack may be happening:

Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a  few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Shortness of breath. This feeling may occur with or without chest discomfort. 

Other signs of discomfort. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

You can also support the fight against heart disease in women by having a Wear Red Day any day at the office, within your social club, your church group, or any small or large organization.  Wear red proudly, accessorized with our Healthy Heart Red Zulugrass wrapped around your wrist or neck.

®, ™ The Heart Truth, its logo, The Red Dress, and Heart Disease Doesn’t Care What You Wear—It’s the #1 Killer of Women are trademarks of HHS.
®National Wear Red Day is a registered trademark of HHS and AHA.

As Valentine’s Day, the holiday of love, approaches, consider purchasing a gift that will not only send love to your Valentine but will send love in the form of a donation to Haiti. Through 2/14/10, The Leakey Collection will donate 10% of all orders placed through this website to Partners in Health. At checkout, click the box “Do you want to add a gift message?” and type “Haiti.”

Along with the rest of the world, we’ve watched the news from Haiti and mourn for a country and a people devastated by the recent earthquake. We hear story after heartbreaking story, though we all experienced a rare moment of joy on Wednesday when, amazingly, rescuers pulled a young girl from the rubble after 15 days! But with millions suffering in a country that was struggling even before the January 12th earthquake, assistance in the form of food, water, shelter and medical aid will be needed for a long time.

Like us, you may have wondered how you can help and where your money will do the most good. Although there are many reputable organizations that are truly providing much needed aid, we have chosen to contribute to Partners in Health.   PIH has worked in Haiti for nearly twenty-five years and is one of the largest non-governmental health care providers in the country. NBC Nightly News  recently reported how to find charities that have a real track record and proven effectiveness listing Partners in Health was one of those organizations.

Thank you for joining us and Partners In Health to “Stand with Haiti.”

The renowned American anthropologist may not have been speaking specifically about young people when she said those words, but one 6th grade class in California believes their involvement CAN change the lives of children in Africa for the better. Read, in their own words, the account of two children who had compassion on children on the other side of the world.

RYAN’S STORY

Our 6th grade class had the amazing honor to host Katy Leakey in our very own room. While she was there, she told us all about a normal day for a child living in the Kenyan bush.

We learned that they use scraps of plastic as their soccer balls. They use string to tie the plastic together in a round shape.

Another difference is that the Maasai parents decide which of their kids go to school and which children become herders. This decision can really affect the outcome of a kid’s life. The herder in the family is respected because he protects the animals, which are a family’s wealth.  I feel really lucky that that I get to go to school.

One more interesting fact is that one person makes lunch for the whole school, which can be up to 1000 kids!  I wouldn’t want to have that job!

After Katy left, my class had the outstanding idea to buy kids in Africa real soccer balls. We decided to sell Friendship Bracelets and raise money for the African kids.   The timing was perfect because it was just at Christmas time. So they are going to get a great present from some students in California that are ready to make a difference in this great world of ours.

Now I bet you are wondering how much money we made. The grand total was, drum role please, dadadadadadadadada, 650 dollars which is over 30 soccer balls. When my mom gave me the grand total I was so amazed I started dancing.

Click here to watch the children playing with their homemade soccer balls of plastic or old torn socks and bits of cloth tied into a tight ball.

SOPHIE’S STORY

My class is very into community service and helping other people by using random acts of kindness and such.  One project my class and I became extremely interested in was the story of the Maasai women in Africa.  A woman by the name of Katy Leakey and her husband founded the Leakey Collection in 2002 and ever since then have devoted their lives to helping the Maasai women in Africa earn their livings by making these beads for the bracelets out of Zulugrass in Africa.  Katy was in San Diego a few months ago and told us what it would be like to be a child living in Africa.

For example, the woman of the family would have to walk 3-10 kilometers to bring water back for her family.  Also, being a child there would include getting up every morning and walking to a classroom which is nothing more than a dirt floor and maybe a tarp overhead to shield them from the hot blazing sun.  When she was done, my class and I felt like we wanted to help the kids in Africa improve their way of living.  Finally we thought of a way to do just that.  During Katy’s talk she told that one of the kids’ favorite things to do was play soccer whenever they got the chance (which was very often).  Sadly, their soccer balls were nothing but pieces of old plastic wound together with string, so we decided to sell bracelets to earn money to buy them soccer balls. It makes me feel very special knowing that each of us will be wearing these bracelets and be connected through a random act of kindness.

We are SO PROUD that this class of 6th graders realizes their generation has the power and responsibility to transform lives, to make a difference, to provide hope, to make a better world.  Could this be the beginning of a new movement? Who knows where it could lead?

Happy 2010!  May this be the best year yet for TLC and all of you!!!  Philip and I returned from our holiday rested and ready to go for a successful year.  We are getting production up and running this week as people slowly return from their holidays around the country.

The good news in Kenya is that we have been getting a lot of rain!!!  It began on Christmas Day and hasn’t stopped!  Our roads were washed away, and it took the road crew a week to repair the main one up our steep hill so that we could come home.  The road to the workshop was also washed away which they managed to repair just in time for us to begin work.  Although the plants are green, unfortunately the grass is slow in coming.  The seed base was exhausted during the drought so it will take a couple of months for the grazing animals to have enough to eat, providing the rains continue.  Everyone here considers this rain a blessing!  It is a good sign for prosperity in 2010.

We hope that all of you had a wonderful holiday and look forward to this trade show season with gusto!  We are showcasing some exciting new and updated products that we can’t wait for you to see and experience! If you’re attending one of our shows, please come by to check out TLC Marula Oil, nature’s secret to healthy, younger looking skin and find out what African women have enjoyed for hundreds of years.  See our website for details on the shows.

Good luck in 2010 and thank you. It is a real pleasure to be partners with each of you.  We truly are blessed!

HAPPY  HOLIDAYS

The air is filled with excitement as Kenyans prepare for holiday celebrations around the country.  The weather is warm and although much of Kenya is still gripped with the devastating drought people are turning their thoughts, as are many families worldwide, to preparing for the holidays in ways that support their faith and culture. 

Here in the Kenyan bush, the Maasai are Christian and celebrate Christmas in a variety of ways, some hosting dinners of roast goat, some making presents of beaded bracelets and belts for their friends, while others will walk to church to sing on Christmas day.  A few even walk from one boma to the next singing Christmas carols on Christmas Eve. 

Many people here celebrate the New Year with as much fanfare as in America.  Families that have been separated over the year will gather to bring in the New Year with all night parties, fireworks and a massive feast and homemade honey beer.  Breaking for the holidays is a long standing tradition in Kenya and rural businesses such as ours always shut down for three weeks to a month in order to give non-local workers time at home with wives, children and relatives.   And because the school year also ends in early December in Kenya, the end of the year festivities with family and friends are more important and celebrated with more fanfare than in the United States.  

We all from The Leakey Collection wish you a happy holiday season and thank you for your continued support over the years.  The Maasai women send their sincere well wishes, as do the men who work so hard and are so appreciative of all that you do to make their lives better, allowing them the opportunities they would not otherwise enjoy. 

From all of us at The Leakey Collection, we wish you a Happy New Year and look forward to continuing our special friendships and associations with you in 2010. 

Philip and Katy Leakey

I sold a pair of Friendship Bracelets the other day to a woman who tutors a young girl. The bracelets were an early Christmas present. When the teacher gave the gift to her pupil, the little girl responded with “How beautiful! I know just who I’m going to give the other bracelet to.” She then continued to tell her teacher the story of when her mom came to China to meet her for the first time and to take her back home with her here in the States. On the flight over, her mom met another woman, also on her way to meet her own daughter for the first time. As chance would have it, the two new moms traveled back to the States with their daughters together. Ten years have past and the girls are still on their life journey together! How lucky am I that TLC has brought such joy to my life!

If you live in the Long Island area and wish to know Beth’s schedule, you may contact her at fairisfair@optonline.net

“Create good karma with a purchase from The Leakey Collection…..one of the coolest eco-chic lines on the market today…..Zulugrass is one of our favorite lines of jewelry ever…..a win-win purchase…..a company you can feel good about supporting”

That’s what Yoga Magazine said about us! Click here to read the rest. We are so pleased to be included in their December 2009 Holiday Gift Guide, featuring gifts items for the entire family!

Our Chakra Collection of Safari Gold  Zulugrass single strands offers yoga enthusiasts a way to balance their body and mind with a color for every chakra.

It’s so durable that it can be worn during physical activities, including yoga.

For the kids, Friendship Bracelets  are truly two gifts in one. The lucky recipient can have both the joy of receiving a gift and the joy of giving one!

Grab the latest issue of Yoga Magazine on newsstands now and connect with mind, body, and spirit.

Turkey, pumpkin pie, quality time with family, football games, tryptophan-induced naps. Then there’s Black Friday shopping. Do you really want to interrupt those relaxing, traditional Thanksgiving activities to join the chaos, long lines and frantic shoppers, trying to find the “perfect” gift at a bargain price?

As I’ve noted before, the pastoral Maasai are some of the happiest people on earth, joyously celebrating life’s special occasions. They have very close community and family ties so our wish for you this holiday season is the same.  That you would have the opportunity to make your celebrations full of that joy and peace with plenty of time to spend with the people you love.

To help you experience the joy of finding the perfect gift for your loved one at a very special price, The Leakey Collection is presenting our version of Black Friday- one that you can do from the comfort of your home!  We’re offering 20% off your entire order on our retail site through Monday, November 30, 2009.   Just type in code BF09 at check-out to take advantage of this offer. We have even put together several Eco-Chic Gifts to make your holiday shopping truly easy! No need to fight those crowds!

Remember, your generous purchase of our Fair Trade jewelry is a double gift! It also provides the gift of opportunity to the Maasai artisans who make The Leakey Collection products.

Store owners, we also have a “Black Friday” special for you.  Please contact your sales representative to take advantage.   You don’t want to miss out!
  
 

Balancing the responsibilities of running a business that can be reliant on the capricious nature of the economy, whims of fashion, Western schedules, and the traditional world of a nomadic culture in Africa, has been challenging at times, to say the least.  We could not do what we do without you, our partner stores and retail buyers, so customer satisfaction is very important to us.

Recently, we’ve heard some wonderful comments from you that I was able to share with the Maasai artisans when I returned to Kenya, such as the note from a new customer in Australia! Mandy from Danu Designs wrote “Just a small message to let you know that I got my order today, thank you very much.  If I thought they were fabulous online, they are spectacular in real life.  I do hope that the rest of Australia loves Zulugrass as much as I do and that we can all work together to make a difference.”

And from Schroeder Gallery in Orange, California, Judy Schroder and her daughter Katie…….well, sometimes pictures DO speak louder than words.

These small gestures on your part have a HUGE impact on the entire TLC team - including your sales representatives who help you decide between “Juicy Lucy” and “Shuka,” the ladies who fulfill your orders, support staff, the Maasai artisans who make the most extraordinary jewelry and wood tabletop items, and of course, Philip and me.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, it is the time to be grateful for many things. And YOU ALL are certainly in that category!