Feature Article
by Nikole Lim

Kazuri Beads & While Women Weep

During my recent visit to Kenya, it was recommended that I visit the Kazuri Beads factory. I was awe inspired at the organization's productive facility, strong work ethic, and stunning jewelry. I was especially inspired when seeing all the women working with great effort, dedication, and love in order to support their families, many of them living in the Kibera slums. It was my great pleasure to meet them and learn about their stories through their intricate bead work. I could see that their faces exhibited much weight from their past obstacles in life. However, most visible was their strong spirit of determination, perseverance, and hope evident through their love of working at Kazuri Beads.

Because of war, famine, disease, poverty and AIDS in Kenya, abuse, neglect and abandonment have been used as weapons against women struggling to provide for their families. However, despite such political unrest, social turmoil, skewed sexism and relentless poverty, there are countless enthralling stories of strength, hope and victory. As a visual documentarian, my objective is to not merely present the issues, but to uplift the strength, hope and victory of those affected by social difficulties.

While in Kenya, I produced a project called While Women Weep, a film and book series which focuses on women who exhibit such virtues of strength, hope and victory in their lives. I had the opportunity to visit a woman living in Kibera, the second largest slum in Africa. Her story is profound. A widowed mother of two, Adla lost her husband to AIDS. After her second son was born, she discovered that she was also HIV positive. To prolong her life she must take AIDS medication daily with a meal; however, she cannot find work and she and her family often go without eating, which also means she is unable to take her pills. She can barely afford to pay the $9.25 monthly rent on a tiny living cubicle, where her walls are slowly caving in.

In Kibera, I explored the issues surrounding the challenges that women like Adla face daily. For HIV positive women, finding a job is rare, however I learned that Kazuri Beads is effectively providing hope through training and employment of single mothers. As a supporter of their beautifully unique jewelry, I am encouraged to know that While Women Weep and Kazuri Beads have similar visions of inspiring change, encouraging freedom, and providing hope in the lives of the women of Kenya.

While Women Weep is dedicated to spreading social awareness, providing monetary aid, encouraging the hopeless, sharing stories of the human spirit, and motivating women worldwide to overcome past obstacles and live freely in hope. For more information, please visit: http://whilewomenweep.com