Women: The Basecamp Maasai Brand
Lack of economic opportunities for women is a major global concern, which hinders gender equality and economic development worldwide. To help women help themselves, Basecamp has introduced several community programs aimed at enhancing women’s economic empowerment.
Our greatest success has been the Basecamp Maasai Brand (BMB), which was established in 2003. The BMB is a community-based handicraft business with the goal of using traditional beading practices to help local Maasai women improve their financial independence. An important element of BMB is capacity building, particularly in relation to microfinance training.
In addition to three Maasai managers, there are currently 118 Maasai women included in BMB. The women are divided into five groups, who use the BMB workshop on designated days. Besides offering access to equipment and materials, the workshop has become an important social hub for the women. BMB is a certified FAIRTRADE brand. Each month 75% of profits go directly to the women. The remaining 25% are used to cover management costs and to buy materials.
BMB items are available from the gift shops in BCMM and Eagle Views. Orders can also be made directly at the workshop, located next to reception at BCMM, or online to be shipped abroad. The BMB workshop welcomes visitors, so please enquire at reception if you would like to arrange a visit. For more information, or to place an order, please send email to jemimah@basecampexplorer.com
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