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Communities do their best when brilliant minds collaborate with them to harness their capabilities.
In today's African developing world, the biggest contribution that can be made is job creation.
This is the philosophy that guides Kenyan companies Kazuri and Soko.
Kazuri, which means “nice little” in Swahili, started in 1975 as a small workshop experimenting with handmade beads.
The factory, located on what had been part of the property of the writer Karen Blixen, started with two female employees, and soon discovered that there were many other women in the surrounding villages who were in dire need of a steady job.
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Elizabeth Matende, who lives in Bulbul, Ngong, refers to Kazuri like this: “I have fed and educated my five children thanks to Kazuri. Now one of my daughters and a granddaughter have found a well-paid job at the company. " Matende, one of the first employees of this business, where she worked for 41 years, learned the art of making beautiful clay ornaments there. Staff have been trained in everything related to bead making, from enamelling to kiln loading, painting and finally assembling handcrafted jewelry.
Driven by the desire to offer more opportunities, Kazuri's workshop has employed more than 340 women from the Blixen farm grounds, most of them single-parent mothers, allowing them to make ends meet. The factory produces more than five million beads a year and exports to more than 20 countries around the world. It has also brought together the most artistic, skillful, diligent and patient men and women to work side by side to produce the highest quality handmade and stamped ceramic jewelry and utensils. By doing this, the company ensures that it is well equipped to compete in both international and local markets.
Kazuri has grown and today has an extensive staff specialized in making artisan jewelry.
In addition, its members have applied the knowledge of pottery and the artistic touch that make necklaces so attractive to the design and production of the exclusive range of tableware, which reflects the culture and nature of Kenya.
Like the beads, each piece is modeled and hand-painted in colorful colors, and the repertoire is vast, from one-of-a-kind collector's items to tableware.
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“We have ensured a stable position for underprivileged members of the community,” celebrates Sammy Makay, director of sales and marketing.
"70% of our employees are women."
In addition to creating jobs, the factory has a clinic that provides medical care to employees and their immediate family, and takes care of 80% of the cost of medical treatments received outside the company's health center.
The result is reflected in the strength of the Kazuri family and in the beauty of their products.
The business is a member of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO), and its products can be ordered online from many of its distributors.
Soko, fabrics, craft workshops and sexual health
Soko Kenya, which means “market” in Swahili, is a clothing manufacturer created in 2009 that works with the people of Kikambala, in Mtwapa, to ensure the prosperity of the community. Its founder, Joanna Maiden, believes that the fashion industry could be used as a force for good, and therefore places social and environmental aspects at the center of her business. “These are the foundations on which I have built this company. I am passionate about producing quality clothing that also improves the lives of my employees and the community, ”adds Maiden.
The entrepreneur's journey in the African textile industry began when she visited Kenya in 2007 with her husband and fell in love. She wanted to change lives, so she started working for the Ethical Fashion Initiative of the International Trade Center in the African country. While working at another company that currently collaborates with brands such as Vivienne Westwood and Max Mara, Maiden met Olivia Kennaway, one of Lalesso's directors. At the time, the company was managing its own manufacturing, but wanted to outsource it. “During the talks, Soko's idea was born. Thanks to my work experience with fashion brands in London, I saw a niche in the market for the ethical production of small-scale clothing ”, says its founder.
Soko works in a double direction. The commercial branch collaborates with designers and fashion brands around the world to create a more sustainable future. The company invests in the training of its team and structures prices in such a way as to ensure fair remuneration for its employees. For its part, the Soko Community Foundation works to develop and improve the social, environmental and economic skills of local communities through various courses and workshops. The foundation also runs the Maungu Sewing Academy, near Voi, and its Kujuwa Initiative women's sexual health program.
To increase opportunities for locals in the job market, Maiden launched a vocational training institution that helps students learn a trade and acquire the qualifications necessary to take advantage of employment opportunities or create a profitable small business. . The Sewing Academy teaches the skills necessary to be better placed when it comes to getting a job in textile manufacturing. “So far 183 students have graduated, 120 of whom have permanent jobs. Many of our graduates continue to work in the factory, in the Kujuwa initiative or in other clothing businesses ”, the promoter is proud.
According to Maiden, the world is changing for the better, and her productive and community work contributes directly to the aspirations for education, women's empowerment, job opportunity creation and waste management set out in the Sustainable Development Goals ( ODS) of the United Nations.
Soko's textile workshop.
Manufacturing in Africa has a long way to go to meet the growing demand.
Since 2017, 5,812 kilos of textile waste from the Soko factory has been used in other company projects instead of being thrown away. The factory is completely self-sufficient with water from the rain collected from the roof. 25% of its energy needs are generated by the solar panels of its facilities, thanks to which 360 kilos of carbon dioxide emissions have been saved since 2020.
Maiden started the factory with four people in a small unit, and currently has 120 employees in a modern and advanced facility. According to the company, the creation of quality garments together with the important collaborations with their customers is what has allowed them to grow. “I am grateful to have such a stable and loyal team that has been a part of Soko's history from the beginning. As a company, we are still inspired to see and feel the connection between our small rural factory and the global fashion industry, ”he says.
Soko produces about 3,500 garments a month.
His clients include ASOS.com, Suno NY, Lalesso, Choolips and Wild Rose Kenya.
They also have an important presence on the Internet and in the specialized written press such as
Vogue, Grazia
,
iD
and
Elle.
Their designs, ranging from popular fashion to luxury, cost between € 30 and € 600.
Challenges and opportunities inspire Maiden.
The moment she was proudest was when she saw Michelle Obama wearing her creations.
"The first time I saw the pictures in the press, the team did not believe me and thought that a factory
really
, in his own words, he should have produced the same clothes ,
" he says.
The moment Maiden felt proudest was when she saw Michelle Obama wear her creations
According to the businesswoman, the idea of an ASOS Africa collection was already there when she walked through the door of the company's offices with a sample of the kinds of clothes she could produce in Soko.
From the association the first collection was born.
“The ASOS Africa team designs the collection in London.
Their design team, in close collaboration with me, is in charge of sourcing locally available fabrics.
A pattern house in London produces the patterns and production samples for Soko, ”he explains.
Maiden believes that manufacturing in Africa has a long way to go to meet the growing demand. It also claims that a lack of support from governments stunts growth. Despite these obstacles, he believes that this is a very exciting time for the continent. “In the four years that I have been in the area, I have seen many areas of the local fashion industry grow. African designers have never made their mark on the international fashion scene like now. Meetings like the IHT Luxury Business Conference are seeing Africa as a true option for manufacturing, ”he says.
Currently, Soko is focused on turning her Kujuwa Initiative into a social enterprise that collaborates with brands, NGOs and companies to help them distribute washable pads to girls in schools, as well as offer sexual and reproductive health education to girls, boys, parents and educators.
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