How women are protecting environment through craft

Antonina Ndinda a member of Shaba Women from Katangi Village in Machakos County displays a sisal-made basket. [Mactilda Mbenywe, Standard]

In Mua village in Machakos County, a group of women gathers under the scorching sun, weaving sisal into beautiful baskets and mats.

Among them is Dorothy Nzinsa, a single mother of three children, who has found a way to provide for her family through sisal arts.

"I never thought I would be able to make a living from weaving baskets," Dorothy says. "But thanks to sisal, I have been able to support my family and send my children to school."

Sisal is a natural fibre that is extracted from the leaves of the plant whose scientific name is agave sisalana. It is a common plant in the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) of Kenya, and women have been using it to make ropes, mats and baskets for centuries.

However, in recent years, climate change has had a significant impact on agave sisalana, making it difficult for women like Dorothy to source the raw materials they need for their art.

But thanks to initiatives like Shaba started by Gloria Kisilu in 2021, women like Dorothy are now able to access the resources they need for their sisal art. Shaba is helping 350 women and over 100 sisal farmers to make art from sisal, a drought-resistant plant that addresses climate change issues.

The idea for Shaba came about because Gloria's mother was a basket weaver, and the women around her used to sell their baskets for less than half the price they would fetch in the market. With Shaba, Gloria aims to empower these women and help them sustain themselves and their families by creating products from their craft that can generate more income.

"Before Shaba, we used to sell our baskets to middlemen who would pay us very little," says Josephine Masha, a beadwork artisan from Kilifi. "But now, we are able to sell our products directly to the market and get a fair price for our work."

Shaba is currently working in five counties in Kenya, including Machakos, Kitui, Kilifi, Diani, and Taita Taveta. The sisal is communally owned, and the farmers are still around, making it easier to organise the value chain and system for each community.

"The best thing about sisal is that it is eco-friendly," says Ann Nduta, a sisal weaver from Kitui County. "We are not harming the environment when we make our products, and that is important to us."

The use of natural fibres means that sisal arts have a low carbon footprint, and the production process does not involve any harmful chemicals. This is an important factor for women like Dorothy, who live in ASAL counties where Shaba is helping women to make art from sisal.