Commercial Handicrafts as a Livelihood for the Maasai in Kenya

The Maasai produced a variety of commercial handicrafts (mats, belts bangles, necklaces, earrings and key-holders) with the beads being the predominant material. The stakeholders were community based organizations (CBOs), Maasai rural training centre (MRTC) and the government. CBOs and MRTC supplied their members with materials, organized meetings, trainings and seminars, marketed products and paid their members wages. The government was responsible for registration of CBOs, provision of permits for meetings and seminars, and marketing of handicrafts through the Ministry of Trade. Income from commercial handicraft is very little; however it is used to finance various livelihood aspects like education, health-care, housing, and provision of food. The commercial handicrafts also have promoted cultural heritage among the Maasai as well as Kenya's international recognition. Thus, the commercial handicrafts are a livelihood option for the Maasai but it face the hurdles of individualized production systems that are subjects of external exploitation, inadequate capital, unreliable markets and lack of government policy to direct the commercial handicrafts trade.