Kazuri Beads — Local services in Nairobi

Looking for some unique souvenirs and gifts for family and friends? The Kazuri Beads Factory is a great place to shop. Best of all, you're helping disadvantaged local women at the same time.

Kazuri means "small and beautiful" in Swahili, and these shiny, brightly colored beads surely fit the bill.

Join a free factory tour and see how local women, including many single mothers, make the beads and other pottery items from scratch. After the tour, you can purchase some to take with you, knowing you are purchasing from a World Fair Trade Organization member. Prices are relatively reasonable.

This is a great tour to combine with a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum, as the factory lies right nearby. It's also one of the top free things to do in Nairobi, although it's hard to leave here without buying some of these...

This is a place that has the local and ethic Kenyan ladies practice their arts and craft of making beads from clay. Necklaces, bracelets and earrings are available for purchase. You can also pick your own beads and prepare custom jewelry yourself. Lucy helped me to put together a custom necklace and was very helpful. A certain percentage of the proceeds go to support the ladies working here and their families. Also there a tip box where you can tip generously to them and all tips are divided equally. There a nice snack bar on the premises that serves tea, coffee and cold drinks. John at the bar was very friendly and made us delicious kenyan tea. Strongly recommended to visit if you...

Every bead has a story; Kazuri means " small and beautiful" in Swahili. It began in 1975 as a tiny workshop experimenting in making handmade beads. The founder, Lady Susan Wood started with two African women and later discovered that there were many other women in the villages around Nairobi most of whom were single mothers. Driven by the desire to provide such opportunities it has grown and today they have a large workforce skilled in the manufacture of handmade Jewelry. They have a unique range of bespoke pottery ware which reflects the culture and wildlife of Kenya. Each piece is handmade and hand painted in rich colours. When in Nairobi don't forget to pay...