Kijani was born with the mission to always give back to the skilled workers behind these amazing products. At Kijani we believe in going beyond the fare trade ideology, by taking the trade directly to the people who produce the items. Kijani strives to support our crafts people and the communities surrounding us by providing many new job opportunities and opening their crafts to the rest of the world.
KIJANI JEWELERS:
Kijani Jewelers is made up of a team of over 20 women. Working together they design, create, and put together the beautiful jewelry. Having done this craft for many years they continue to perfect their crafts as they continue the traditional methods of jewelry crafting. At Kijani we value the work that these women do and the benefits they bring to their families and their communities. Through their artistic efforts and dedication to producing sustainable jewelry, we can bring to you the consumer the highest quality, good looking jewelry.
Within the Kijani jewelers we have a group of specialized people that works in the glass section spending their days behind the hot kilns extracting molten glass and placing them in the molds for shaping. These very skilled worked work to produce the intricate designs found on the wide variety of beads and specialized design items.
COASTAL FABRICS:
At the Coastal Fabrics team, we have the amazing Jane at the forefront of the operation. Weaving the specialized designs and vibrant colors, Jane leads her team of over 10 women in ensuring high quality products made from very high-quality cotton. Using century old techniques, the women work with their hands to intricately weave their designs. These fabrics used as Kikoys’ date back many years and have been used in the coastal regions as towels, dresses, beach towels, decorative couch covers and many creative ways that different people find to utilize them.
MAASAI FABRICS:
Maasai Fabrics is a team comprised of over 15 people, all from heart of Kajiado county. These team members work to produce the highest quality Maasai blankets in their traditional methods passed down from generations. Using this trade, they can support their communities and families within Kajiado county. These talented people work by hand weaving the cotton strands layer by layer ensuring strong weaves and intricate designs. To keep up with times they have developed a wooden support that holds the fabrics and assists in the weaving process, though manual labor remains a big component in the production process.
WOOD CRAFTS:
The wood crafts team comprises of very specialized hand carvers that shave bits off wood off a start block to get the intricate designs that form the useful wooden products. Made from local hard woods, these products have a born durability, and this is very evident in the weight of the products.
KIJANI METAL WORKS:
The highly skilled people at the Kijani metal works, comprised of a team of 6 individuals all with different backgrounds. This team was carefully picked by Kijani based on their artisan skills and techniques around the dangerous foundry floor. These highly skilled workers have perfected their craft over years and brought their skills to the Kijani foundry where they have been able to work in a safer environment and gain more control over their artistic works.