Masks give women’s group lifeline as tourists dwindle

Tuesday, June 16, 2020 0:01

By LYNET IGADWAH

Members of Chui Mama Women’s Group making masks in Laikipia County.

Now, the 355 women are sewing and selling face masks at Sh50 a piece to the local community dominated by the Samburu and Ndorobo — the sub-groups of the expansive Maa speaking community.

“The women kicked off the face masks project as soon as the government announced that it is mandatory to wear one in public places,” said Dorothy Masinde Mwango, a Board of Trustees member at Chui Mama.

Before Covid-19 reared its ugly head, the women were known for their beadwork which they sold to tourists who visited Laikipia’s top lodges, large ranches owned by white settlers and wildlife conservancies.

The funding will also go towards purchase of fabric for making face masks, liquid soap, paying the women for labour offered and for public address speakers to educate people on Covid-19 and how to protect themselves.