Mama Masai

Mama Masai are 200 entrepreneurial masai women in Simanjiro district (north-eastern Tanzania), who make unique beaded craft and leather products using skills handed down from mother to daughter for generations.

Each woman is paid a fair price for every product she makes, calculated to reflect the experience, skill and the time devoted to make it.

The money the women make from their involvement with Mama Masai is the first money they have been able to call their own. Small amounts of additional money make a huge difference to many lives. They have used it to help educate their children, improve their homes, get medical treatment, buy medicine and start a small business.

All Mama Masai members are currently enrolled in literacy classes. The aim is to ensure that every member of the Mama Masai groups becomes literate and numerate, but also to empower women to play a greater role in their communities and be better businesswomen.