“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  However, we all know that old childish taunt is just not true! Adults, as well as children, thrive on positive feedback, and we at The Leakey Collection are no exception to that. We LOVE hearing from you. Don’t ever underestimate the power of your comments, suggestions and feedback of every kind! It is so valuable to us.

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!

Aren’t friends the best? What fun it is to spend an evening with other women, enjoying their companionship and conversation! That’s one activity that I do miss living in Kenya but was thrilled to have the opportunity my last week in California!

By happy circumstance, an event at The Leakey Collection warehouse coincided with our fabulous warehouse manager’s birthday! We surprised Kathy (above middle) with a birthday celebration, complete with balloons, cake and presents. She takes such good care of you, our partners, by fulfilling your orders and keeping our Zulugrass in stock, that it was wonderful to be able to take care of her for a change. I also felt privileged to meet and talk with some women who attended our event, supporting the Maasai women through their purchase of Zulugrass jewelry.

At a delicious dinner that evening, some of TLC’s California employees had the chance to talk about – well, everything! Just like the conversations you have with your friends, we chatted about children and family, joy and heartaches, work and play. And I shared some stories of the differences between the lifestyles of American and Maasai women.

The Maasai are a warm, friendly, traditional people. The Maasai women spend much time together during the day, cooking, caring for babies, mending the home, gathering wood and cleaning, but never at night, as the TLC ladies and I experienced.  They do love to celebrate, though, and throw more parties than any culture on earth. There is much talking, laughing, gift giving, and good food.

Now that I think of it, I guess there aren’t as many differences between Maasai and American women after all!  Friendships are the same, the world over. And I cherish each friend I have!

We at The Leakey Collection know that you also cherish your friendships and, to help you celebrate them, offer our special Friendship Bracelets. For the young and the young at heart.

We’ve always considered Katy and Philip stars, but now the entire United States can acknowledge Katy’s celebrity status! Not only has she recently graced the Money Section cover in a national newspaper, USA Today, but Monday, October 26, a new television show on E! Entertainment – “That Morning Show” - will spotlight Katy and The Leakey Collection.

According to a recent press release, “Offering lighter and more uplifting fare, “That Morning Show” focuses on topics that will enhance the lives of its viewers. From the workplace to the kitchen, the world of fashion, or new environmental projects, iBC’s new production will meld entertainment and information in a way aimed at making viewers hopeful, empowered and informed.”

Hosted by a trio of fresh faces, Chelsea Cannell, Mark Long, and Carla Cavalli, it is a perfect television showcase for us because it focuses on all the things our company stands for – hope, positive influence and making a difference.  It is an amazing opportunity for Katy to discuss sustainability and Fair Trade concepts, highlighting the fact that October is Fair Trade Month.  Katy hopes to educate viewers about the gift of opportunity that has changed the lives of so many Maasai women and their families and inspire them to join us in “Women Helping Women.”

“That Morning Show” airs from 6:00-9:00am (ET & PT), coast to coast, seven days a week. Check your cable network listings for E! Entertainment. Watch Katy live or set your Tivo or DVR for Monday, October 26! This is a must see!

The snarling leopard propelled Kimberly into one of the fastest runs of her 23 years.  Walking back to camp from the workshop one August afternoon, her mind languishing on the fun she’d had with the Maasai women earlier in the day and listening to music on her Ipod, she disturbed the leopard several yards up the hill.

When I saw her, sweaty and breathless, she was regaining her composure, and relatively calmly asked if the snarl she heard could have been our resident leopard.   Since he had recently been seen dragging a Clip Springer to his lair in the same spot, I confirmed her first real adventure while living in the bush.

We relaxed with a cup of tea, and soon we were chatting of other things.  Kim had learned a lot staying with us in Kenya.  Being my niece, she was privy to our trials and tribulations from the beginning of our business, but coming to Kenya had added a new dimension, and she wanted to know more about how Fair Trade worked.

I explained to Kim that Fair Trade was comprised of basically four main tenants:

1. The guarantee by the Fair Trade company to pay a “Living Wage” for those who were   employed by or contracted by the company. “Living Wage” means a wage that allows the worker to feed, educate and take care of medical needs for their family.

2. The guarantee by the Fair Trade company that the people working for or contracted by the company were involved in the negotiation of their pay, working conditions and general working set up and structure.

3. A Fair Trade company must, in some way, invest either time, money, or assist a community in ways outside of the Fair Trade business; i.e. building clinics, helping schools, building infrastructure.

4. A Fair Trade company must operate within the globally accepted rules and regulations for an environmentally sustainable business.

Kim and I discussed the fact that few Americans could boast of such a system of compensation, as many dual income families have a difficult time covering the costs of living that a “Living Wage” covers in rural areas around the globe.

I was surprised that she, a relatively savvy and socially conscious young woman, hadn’t understood Fair Trade and realized that few Americans do.   There seems to be a deep distrust of business which surprises me, since most, if not all, Fair Trade businesses are small mom and pop operations.  Kim went on to tell me of corporate greed and big business transgressions as reasons why there was such distrust among Americans.

Although sympathetic to those concerns, I countered with the fact that more small businesses are started by women in the United States than any other group. Surely these women understood the power of small business to transform lives.

“Yes, but everyone wants an “angle.” Don’t you think some businesses are saying they are doing those things but aren’t?” she challenged.

The best way to insure that you are in fact changing lives by purchasing Fair Trade goods is to make sure that the company making the product is a member of a Fair Trade organization.  In the United States, the Fair Trade Federation is excellent.   It took us nearly 9 months to gain membership, and during that time, we endured 3 rounds of intensive interviews. Our business practices were thoroughly scrutinized, as was our method of production, operation and environmental claims.  Two other Fair Trade members had to vouch for our operation as well; this intense scrutiny is effective at determining a company’s compliance with the Fair Trade rules and values.

By this time, it was getting dark, and I told her that in the morning I’d tell her some stories of how Fair Trade business has changed the lives of women here, and on that note, we adjourned to our bucket showers.   Hyper aware of her surroundings after her encounter with the leopard, Kimberly scanned the area with her flashlight and stuffed her Ipod in her pocket, the foam ear blobs swinging from thin wires dangling from her jeans.  I had to smile. It took a leopard to make another young woman wake up and hear the “real” music!

In an upcoming blog, I will tell you those stories about how our Fair Trade operation has changed some women’s lives in Kenya.

The Leakey Collection supports Breast Cancer Awareness Month by offering our specially designed pink Zulugrass jewelry, but we were still curious when we recently received an order for 20 (yes, 20) Fight for a Cure Hangtags!

As usual, we are continually amazed by you, our wonderful partners! In this case, Nancy Webb, a radiologist specializing in breast imaging (mammography, ultrasound, MRI) and biopsies for the detection of breast cancer. She works at Waldo County General Hospital, a small community hospital in “beautiful Belfast on the coast of Maine” and bought the Fight for a Cure jewelry for her Technologists and staff! This warm, compassionate woman told me she loves and wears Zulugrass constantly and wanted to share both the jewelry and our mission of “Women Helping Women” with her staff.

She told me about the wonderful, caring Oncology Department that organizes an annual Cancer Awareness Walk that originally focused only on Breast Cancer fundraising but now targets all cancer. She says, “The money raised goes into our Oncology Patient Assistance and Mammography Funds to help cover the costs of diagnosis and treatment of any cancer if a patient is in financial need. The past couple of years we have raised around $8,000.”  Most of the funds are raised through raffles of prizes donated by the hospital and local businesses.

We at The Leakey Collection are delighted to offer specially designed pink Zulugrass jewelry, Kuponya which means “to heal” in Kiswahili, and our Fight for the Cure Hangtag, featuring 2 pink strands of Zulugrass. 5% of sales from this select pink jewelry is donated to the Estee Lauder Cancer Research Foundation and an additional 5% goes to Women’s Health Initiatives in Kenya.

Although October is designated as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, there are other ways you can help year-round. You can “Click to Give Free Mammograms” daily at The Breast Cancer Site.

This month we are proud to spotlight people like Nancy and Waldo County General Hospital and would love to hear your stories about people that join us in making a difference - Women Helping Women.

GUEST BLOGGER: Chrystal Corcoran, Customer Service

 Simplify.

Doesn’t the word itself promise a renewal of mind, body and spirit?  That’s why it’s the theme of this year’s International SPA Associations Conference and Expo held in Austin, Texas, October 5-7.  The Leakey Collection is thrilled that Katy Leakey herself will be at our booth, #1213, speak at Ten Thousand Villages in Austin, and spend time with the entire team! We can’t wait!

iSPA has been recognized worldwide as the professional organization and voice of the spa industry since 1991,  representing more than 3,200 health and wellness facilities and providers in 83 countries.  Katy will be showing our entire line, including our newest products – Friendship Bracelets and Fallen Acacia Wood Table Top accessories. Click here to see our wood product line on our Facebook Fan Page. We’d love it if you’d support us by becoming our Facebook Fan!  We also are unveiling our new skin care product – TLC Marula Oil, Africa’s secret to youthful skin.

Marula Oil, hand collected from wild Marula trees in rural East Africa, is a cold-pressed, deep penetrating oil that moisturizes and heals dry skin.  This light, unscented oil is high in anti-oxidants, oleic acid, and vitamins C & E, which are essential components for healthy skin. In Katy’s words, “Much to my disappointment, I found in my forties that I had inherited my mother’s scaly dry skin.  Alligators wear their patchy skin nicely, but my mother and I didn’t, and no product seemed to have a hope of returning the soft silky skin of youth – until now!  At my age, I am very skeptical of “miracle” wonder treatments, so with reasonable doubt,  I replaced my normal skin care regime and tested TLC Marula Oil, using no other products for a couple of weeks.  Happily, I discovered that it absorbed quickly and left no residue on my skin, and within two weeks of using Marula Oil, the alligator pattern began to subside.  Encouraged and surprised, I continued and by the end of one month, my legs were smooth and silky again.  After using TLC Marula Oil on my face for several months, the red blotchy spots have virtually disappeared. I’ll never go back to my old skin regiment – it’s TLC Marula Oil forever!  I have finally found a skin care product I can believe in.”

In looking for skin lotion recipes, we realized that most of them are 80% water.  The active ingredients are minimal in most of the skin care lines, so we decided to offer the active ingredient on its own – 100% Marula Oil. We sent out samples to just over 100 women across America and asked them to replace their normal skin care rituals with our 100% TLC Marula Oil and see if they noticed a difference.

The results are significant.  73% of the women noticed a visible improvement in their skin after just two weeks of using TLC Marula Oil, including me. I loved the effect it had on the texture and fine wrinkles on my face. I’m eagerly awaiting more!

While Katy’s in Austin, Texas for the iSPA Expo, she will be speaking at Ten Thousand Villages, located at 1317 South Congress Avenue, Austin, on Tuesday, October 6th, from 4:30-6:30 p.m.  She will be discussing the joys and challenges of owning a rural enterprise, the importance of fair trade, and the impact the company has on her neighbors, the Maasai.  She looks forward to answering questions and to talk about her life in Kenya, as well as the mission that drives The Leakey Collection. Ten Thousand Villages provides vital, fair income to Third World people by marketing their handicrafts and telling their stories in North America. We’re proud to be associated with them!

Katy looks forward to seeing you in Austin!  Drop by to talk to her at Booth 1213 or at Ten Thousand Villages, just a mile and a half from the iSPA Expo. We can’t wait to hear what YOU think about TLC Marula Oil!

Little Isha was presented to me as a gift on August 28th.  No one knows what happened to her mother but she needed a home.   I was wary at first of taking on a week old baby with her umbilical cord still dangling, but Isha’s large brown eyes draped in luscious lashes and long attentive ears soon won me over.

Because of the severe drought, no Maasai would sell me goat milk, the best alternative for a baby antelope.  All but a handful of cattle remain in our area and the few lactating goats are the Maasai’s only supply of milk until the rains come.  Isha took to the next best alternative, soya milk, with the same enthusiasm as a child taking medicine so I had to force feed her using a syringe.   After a few days, she and I had our rhythm, and soon she began gaining strength.

At night she slept in a box lined with hay next to my side of the bed. Gizzy, our cat, viewed this intrusion of the long legged monster as nothing short of abandonment and stayed in her cat bed in another tent rather than sleeping with us.  During the days, I moved Isha to a shady thicket where we could keep an eye on her, calling her for regular feedings throughout the day and into the early evening. 

As Isha gained strength, she began to cavort around camp and within a short time she was browsing for leaves, a sure sign of her advancement and success at growing into a young duiker.   She and I had a lovely ritual after feeding where I would lie back with her standing on my chest and groom her coat with a small, wet, homemade foam tong.  She loved it and thanked me by nibbling my chin and cheeks.  It was a wonderful bonding that we both thoroughly enjoyed five times each day.

Isha took several downturns in her second week, but we managed to get her back on track and she was doing well.  Always alert, she quickly learned her way around camp and found several favorite spots to sleep during the day.  She was captivating, coming when we called her name and prancing with capricious vigor when she wanted to play.  Isha always displayed her sweet nature but saved her heartfelt affections for me and would follow me around when she wasn’t playing, browsing or sleeping.

Last Wednesday, she was weak when I called her out from her box by my bed for her 6 a.m. feeding.  By 10 a.m. I realized that she might not make it. She was so ill and limp.  I kept her in my lap all day long, stroking her, offering her soya milk and suddenly in the afternoon, she came back to life.   Within the hour she was standing, eating leaves and taking soya milk with gusto.  She had made it.  I was so relieved that I hailed her recovery to all in camp.  I put her in her favorite spot to get some work done and returned an hour later.

Isha was not to make it after all, and she died in my arms two hours later.  We buried her near my great grandmother’s fig tree, a cutting I brought from California a few years ago.  I miss her terribly.  It’s so hard to lose a small wild animal.  Philip recalled many of these “tragedies” that he watched his mother Mary, an avid animal lover, go through during his childhood in Oldupai. He said that only about 1 or 2 out of 5 orphans brought to their camp would survive.  I suppose that was meant to comfort me, but I can’t help feeling that I failed little Isha. 

I stuck a branch of fresh green leaves in the small mound by the fig tree and send her a kiss each time I walk by.  To all the animals we love in the world, may they continue to change our lives and make us better human beings, no matter how long or short we have them, and no matter how hard it can be at times, may they continue to grace our lives. 

Fifty male lions are prowling around Nairobi! Fifty life-size decorated male lion sculptures, that is. Conceived by the Born Free Foundation and Wild in Art, Pride of Kenya is a public art event designed to raise both awareness of the increasingly threatened species and funds for the conservation of lions in Kenya.

Life-size fiberglass lion “canvasses” cast from a mold by Artist Gakunju Kaigwa, then decorated by Kenyan artists, including Philip’s son Jan Allan who designed and built the exclusive seasonal camp Ol Seki Mara Camp which offers a genuine Safari Experience. His lion is pictured here under the awning. See all the lions by clicking here.

These lions, sponsored by local and international companies based in Nairobi, are being displayed all around Nairobi and will be auctioned at the Born Free Foundation’s 25th Anniversary in November, with proceeds used for the lion’s conservation effort.

As we reported in our blog dated April 15, 2009, Philips’s brother, Richard Leakey (pictured below second from the left), chairman of WildlifeDirect, a foundation dedicated to the conservation of endangered species, was interviewed on 60 Minutes, speaking out against the Furadan poisoning of lions in Kenya. WildlifeDirect will continue to publicize this message about the contribution of Furadan to the decline of Kenya’s lion population, which now stands at only 2,100 and is being lost at a rate of 100 lions per year. This pink lion, designed by artist Mary Collis, is sponsored by WildlifeDirect.

We are hopeful that this project, along with the continued efforts of these and other sponsors, will save the few remaining lions in Kenya and preserve the legacy of the “King of the Jungle.” As Dr. Noah Wekesa, Director of the Kenya Wildlife Service, stated at the opening ceremony, “Kenya without wild lions would be a tragedy.”

Since Labor Day is a national holiday dedicated to fair labor conditions and wages, it is time to ask yourself, “Where was the product made and how were the people who made it treated?”

Although traditionally Labor Day is celebrated by most Americans as the symbolic end of the summer, celebrated with barbeques and a day off work, according to the United States Department of Labor , the first Monday in September is “a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.” The first Labor Day celebration, organized by the Knights of Labor, was held on September 5, 1882.

The idea of commemorating “the working men’s” fight for fair treatment is not limited to the United States.  International Workers’ Day (a name used interchangeably with May Day) is a national holiday all over the world, including Kenya. Unfortunately, many of the fair treatment laws that we take for granted in the United States are not required in many countries around the world.  In a globalized economy, consumer goods are sometimes produced in poor developing countries, taking advantage of cheap labor and lack of environmental or community protections. Workers, children included, are required to work extremely long hours for barely subsistence-level wages, and often under unsanitary and unsafe conditions.  According to International Labor Rights Forum, “Alarmingly, an estimated 211 million children between the ages of 5 and 14 are compelled to work around the world.”

From the beginning, our goal was to build a company around the lifestyle and culture of the Maasai, instead of disrupting their way of life. The female artisans work in a non-factory setting, usually under the acacia trees. The work sites are mobile so that there are many opportunities to earn money throughout the Rift Valley. You can watch the women at work by clicking here.

The women are free to come and go as they please, bringing their babies and children with them, so they can watch them and earn an income at the same time. They are paid a fair wage by the piece. In fact, a woman who works full time (30 hours per week) makes enough income in one month to feed her entire family for a year! In addition, 5% of all sales goes back to the communities in the form of health benefits, infrastructure and education. We are proud to be a certified members of the Fair Trade Federation and Green America.

Every day, The Leakey Collection is thankful for the social and economic achievements of not only the American workers, but of those new opportunities for our neighbors here in Kenya.  While enjoying your barbeque this Labor Day, we hope you reflect on the positive changes that are taking place across our globe and know that you are part of this moveent of fair trade practices!

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!