BEADS BECOME A DOLLAR MINTER IN LOLIONDO

Over 300 women entrepreneurs at Loliondo division in Ngorongoro district now can smile all the way to the bank after securing a reliable market for their beads, thanks to a tour firm.

The Boston based Thomson Safaris Tour Company; the legal owner of the Enashiva Nature Refuge has set up a market where Maasai women can sell their beads to the tourists in its efforts to empower locals.

Nekaki Meikoki told visiting journalists that the firm’s initiative has become a blessing as majority of Maasai women from Sukenya, Soit sambu, Okiu and Mundoros villages now earn their living by selling beads.

She said women groups operating in the area can generate up to $2,500 per day by selling their artwork, mainly beads, depending on the number of visitors to the wildlife rich Enashiva nature refuge located within the Serengeti ecosystem.

Ms Nekaki said art craft business have elevated Maasai women to become the breadwinners, overcoming the Maasai oppressed tradition which relegated women to domestic chores.

“This business earn us handsome money enabling some of our counterparts to build bricked houses, purchase livestock to mention,but a few” she explained.

“Doing business with tourists have brought joy to our families, our
husbands are supporting and appreciating our efforts because we are
relieving them” says Nemayan Kioki, a founder member of the group.
On her part Magdalena Parmere, a mother of three kids, two studying in
Sukenya Primary School and one at Loliondo Secondary School said she
managed to pay for their school fees without help from her husband.
Speaking with reporters about women development in business Sukenya
Village Chairman Loserian Orminis commended the support from Thomson
safaris tour Company, saying the initiative needs emulation by other
firms in order to empower locals to tape from tourism industry.
“We have lost thousands of our cattle’s during the draught times in
2006, our land, families were left in abject poverty, but now art
craft business has brought a new hope for our survival“ Orminis noted.
Thomson Safaris Tour Company, General Manager, John Bearcroft   said
his company is committed to partnering with communities around their
investment.
He said,  “Many Maasai women’s groups around the Enashiva nature
refuge are just one outstanding example of how a few entrepreneurs can
lead to a thriving business.”
“Balancing the aims of conservation, tourism, and communities remains
one of the greatest challenges throughout Tanzania,” Bearcroft
stressed.
 He assured Loliondo communities that they are working with
stakeholders at all levels on developing solutions to meet such
challenges.