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 The Kazuri bead business has offered approximately 300 women a much needed source of income. Each woman is able to feed 12-15 members of their extended family through their employment. Kazuri Ltd. is a member of the Fair Trade Federation, and the employees are paid three and a half times the national wage in Kenya.
The beads are known for their Kenyan art that reflects a culture and appeal to a worldwide fashion market. Kazuri's beautifully finished products are made to an international standard and are sold worldwide. These standards are maintained through thorough training and a highly motivated management team. The ceramic beads are made from authentic clay from the Mt. Kenya area which is dug by hand. Each bead is shaped individually without the aid of molds, forms or any modern machinery.
The beads are then hand painted in a wide range of designs that shine with a kaleidoscope of African colors. The beautiful beads are painted with high gloss paint, and then glazed to produce a smooth, shiny decorated product. The word "Kazuri" means 'small and beautiful' in Swahili.
In 2001 Mark and Regina Newman bought Kazuri Ltd and their goal is to further increase the size of the company and to maintain the guiding philosophy; to provide employment opportunities for disadvantaged members of the Kenyan Society. Mark Newman died unexpectedly in 2007. Today the company is operated by Regina Newman and her brother Raymond Goes.
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The Kazuri business began in a small garden shed with two African women, a kiln and a vision to help women find a way out of poverty. Lady Susan saw a need to provide employment for women, who at the time were not allowed in the work force. She revived the traditional bead-making process of the Kikuyu women, took the bead necklaces to New York, and the jewelry business began.
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