Evelyn
Beadwork
A bead artisan expanding her business a little further each season.
“We have a table banking system where we are able to save and borrow money to boost our business.”
Evelyn grew up in the Kipsongo slum. At eight she was among the many children attending a drop-in centre, where they received a basic education, breakfast, and lunch. In the afternoons she went into town to look for scrap metal to sell, and gave the money to her mother. At fifteen she ran away and became pregnant. Not knowing what to do, she stayed with the man out of necessity. Life with a child was harder still, so every day she tied her baby on her back and went looking for scrap to sell just to buy food for them both.
When she heard about Baskets and Beads from the other women, she did not hesitate to join. They taught her how to live in a community with love, and how to be a businesswoman. She makes and sells beads and provides for her family, and uses the group's table banking system to push her business a little further each season.
In Evelyn’s words
“For us to find more market for our products so we can have a regular income.”
Stand behind Evelyn
Gifts go into the group’s shared table banking pool and the programs that support every woman in the circle: materials, literacy, medical help, and school fees for their children.
