The importance of biodiversity conservation

Source: Laikipia Mali Asili
The more types of plant and animals present in the environment, the healthier that environment is for both human and animal populations. The variety of animal and plant types, which is referred to as biodiversity, is reduced when conditions develop that make it impossible for some species to survive. Such conditions can be created by excessive use of chemicals aimed at killing weeds or pests, which also end up killing species that are beneficial to human beings, animals and agricultural crops.

These beneficial species include bees, butterflies, moths and other pollinators. Within Laikipia County, there are a number of Projects focusing on promotion of biodiversity in different ways.

Maintaining high levels of biodiversity has many benefits. For example, elimination of harmful chemicals results in increase of pollinators such as bees and other useful insects. This enables more people to get involved in activities relying on some of them such as bee keeping (apiary) for income. The quality of trees and other vegetation also improves because pollination ensures the production of better adapted varieties of plants.

It is important to note that biodiversity refers not only to plants and animals available in our surroundings but also organisms that live in the soil such as earthworms and even micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi. These microbes aid in the decomposition of plant materials to release useful nutrients for plants.

Tea Tree site

Another factor that is threatening biodiversity is climate change. Climate change is the significant change of the average temperatures over period longer than 30 years, causing changes in weather patterns and a (slow) rise in sea level, among other impacts. According to the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAP), key climate change impacts for Kenya are drought and water scarcity, flooding and sea-level rise.

Research suggests that temperatures will continue to increase, and the frequency of hot days and nights will rise. Precipitation is expected to increase in some areas, with the largest rise in rainfall occurring in the highland and coastal regions.

However, the greater part of the country comprising the arid and semi-arid regions is expected to become significantly drier. When climate patterns change, it is expected that plants and animals species which only survives on cooler regions will disappear while new species suited to warmer climates will replace them.

Laikipia Mali Asili is a voice for people promoting sustainable land management practices in Laikipia County.

Pastoral women out to make a change through bead work

By James Koinare

The Maasai tribe of Africa is well known for its traditional handmade bead jewelry. Beadwork has been an important part of Maasai culture for many years. It was normally done not for commercial reasons, but as a cultural beautification practice that is endowed with diverse beadwork patterns and styles for respective groups in the community with each having its own design.

In a bid to learn what Maasai’s from Kitengela in Kajiado County are doing, Yiaku Laikipiak Trust (YLT) undertook a two (2) days exchange visit for twenty (20) women drawn from four (4) women groups in Laikipia County.

The exchange visit took place courtesy of support from United Nations Development Program (UNDP) Global Environment Facility (GEF) Small Grants Programme (SGP) which has funded YLT.

The main purpose of the exchange visit was to look at the available opportunities in three (3) major aspects namely; business perspective of handmade bead jewelry, identifying possible linkages and networks for marketing and identifying partnerships for strengthened skills development through training.

Women being trained on beadwork

YLT realized that most of the women had been doing much of their work amongst themselves. This has tied them to restrictive pattern making that only serves the interests of few people in the locality.

Being close to the capital, and with regular and multi-diverse cultures interacting makes Kitengela a warehouse of reciprocating innovations that have weaved  the best designs of beadworks in the modern world.

The exchange visit enabled the women to share from diverse exhibitions on the work that is being undertaken by other women and the skills they have borrowed from others. This new skills will enable them to not only know how to make beads the Maasai way, but also go an extra mile to encompass the desire and the likes of many within Kenya and the Diaspora.

YLT hopes that the exchange visit will influence the participant’s decisions and inculcate a new concept in traditional beadwork that targets to impact the present global market.

Today’s world calls for much in terms of creativity and innovation in order to attract a larger market for finished goods. Borrowed skills and knowledge on value addition are critical in achieving this noble cause.

There is a lot of dynamism in the world today, and much more is needed in order to match the unforgiving competition. Many people are capitalizing on the Maasai intellectual property. Value added Maasai works are on sale on larger markets of the world and its time Maasai women embraced the modern beadwork technology if they are to go commercial and earn a living from the work of their hands.

History of Maasai handmade bead jewelry

By James Koinare

Beadwork has been an important part of Maasai culture for many years. It was normally done not for commercial reasons, but as a cultural beautification practice that is endowed with diverse beadwork patterns and styles for respective groups in the community with every group (Morans, Young ladies, and Elders) with its own design.

The Maasai have been creating bead jewelry well before their first contact with Europeans. They initially used the natural resources around them to create their jewelry. These natural resources included; clay, wood, bone, copper, and brass.

In the late 19th century trade with the Europeans made glass beads available to the Africans. The Maasai started using these glass beads to make their necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry.

Today glass is still the main material used by the tribe for their beads. Some of the colours used include; orange, green, yellow and black.

The orange usually symbolizes hospitality. This is associated with cattle as visitors are always served cow milk from orange gourd. Yellow also symbolizes hospitality. Visitor’s beds are always yellow in colour. Green symbolizes health and land as cattle graze on the green grass of the land while black represents the people and the struggles that they endure.

Maasai women used to set aside time every day to meet and work on beaded jewelry which includes colorful necklaces, bracelets, and pendants. Sometimes back it was considered the duty of every Maasai woman to learn the jewelry making craft.

All the tribes’ beadwork is made by the women but is worn by both women and men. The jewelry that they create is not only beautiful but also has important cultural significance. The beadwork an individual wears will signify their age and social status.

For the Morans, the mothers were assigned with the duty of making sure that their sons looked smart in order to win the most beautiful girl in the village. 

Unmarried Maasai girls often wear a large flat beaded disc that surrounds their neck when dancing. They use the movement of the disc to display their grace and flexibility.

During wedding days, women would always wear a very elaborate and heavy beaded necklace that hangs down to the brides knees.

Generally individuals of high social standing will wear more colorful and intricate jewelry. Beads also serve as an important source of income for the Maasai. Tourists visiting the Maasai regions in Kenya and northern Tanzania will find many beautiful pieces for sale that make great gifts for women and men. Often the Maasai will wear or give bead jewelry for special occasions.