Maasai Fashion Shop
TEAM
Hi! This is Ayubu founder of Maasai Volunteering Solutions and Loreto project manager og the NGO. We want to present our project Maasai Fashion Shop.
Maasai Fashio Shop was born from a Human Centered Design workshop, where the women decided to change their economic activity from charcoal production (which pollutes and is the same thing that many Maasai women do) to create new products with their knowledge and skills based on the creation of handicrafts. In this way they can generate incomes for living and develop new projects keeping their culture to improve life affected by the climate change.
HOW DID THE IDEA STARTED?
Loreto, project manager, had the opportunity to share a very important ceremony with several communities, where she observed that the fabric of the women's clothing is very different from the "shuka" of the men and the typical African fabric "Kitenge". He also noticed that the jewelry is very different from what is seen in the fairs or craft stores in the country.
So when the women of the community expressed their interest in doing something with their skills, Loreto proposed to them to do something that has not been seen in the market: to combine the Maasai jewelry with the fabrics that they themselves use, to create new contemporary designs.
CAMPAING GOALS
Finance the first 3 months of work to obtain the first final products that can be marketable and generate first sales to validate the project and then women will be able to produce their own incomes to support the project for the village.
What will the funds be used for?
- Salary for the women of the community: we want them to stop producing charcoal and concentrate on developing the new project.
- Payment of HR and services for the first months of the project: business development, partnership generation, photography, translators.
- Purchase of materials: beads, fabrics and other supplies for the first production.
- Provision of storage space clean and orderly work in the community.
- Marketing: to publicize the project and start the second campaign to later finance it as a venture.
- Transportation to the community.
MORE ABOUT THE PROJECT
- How is this fabric different from the others?
The fabric designs are simple and tasteful for women of any country.
- Is there any competition or similar projects?
To date the most similar project is Sidai, a jewelry store with modern designs based on Maasai culture, but it is only jewelry.
In terms of fashion, all clothing sold uses the African fabric "kitenge" or pieces combined with other fabrics and on the internet we found ways to wear Maasai Shukas, but only with shukas with fabrics that men use.
- What is the status of the project?
The project is in the prototyping stage:
- Competition search was reazalized.
- Development of the first 4 models (prototype)
- We are in search of commercial alliance with designer and seamstress.
- Development of branding and advertising to publicize the project.
ABOUT THE MAASAI COMMUNITY
Objectives of the community to improve with the results of the project:
- Change economic activity of women, since today they make charcoal to sell and thus affect the environment on the one hand and the other is that it is the same as many do, so they want to differentiate themselves by doing something with their knowledge and skills.
- Finance community food
- Finance educational projects
- Finance health improvement
- Finance livestock maintenance improvement projects
- Finance access to clean water
- Finance projects to innovate in the construction of houses and fences.
We invite you to be part of this project supporting to improve life of the communities that want to keep their culture and improve their life in the village.
We also are looking for volunteers that want to participate in the different projects, visit https://www.maasaivolunteeringsolutions.com to get more information.
