Agnes Papatit: Beads for Education, Kenya

Born and raised in Amboseli National Park in Kenya, Agnes Papatit has led a traditional Maasai life. Her family’s home was made of mud and dung, clustered with similar huts belonging to other villagers, all of them ringed with thorn bushes to protect the valuable cattle from predators. Unusual for a woman, when she was a child Agnes had some schooling, although she didn’t have the money to complete high school. Instead, she channeled her intelligence and drive into beading, the most famous of Maasai folk arts.

She learned the art from her mother and the other women of the village, who would sit beneath acacia trees, beading and storytelling. Now 20 and married to a Maasai warrior leader, she is recognized as one of the region’s most accomplished young beaders, as well as an advocate for maintaining the best of Maasai traditions. The artisans in Beads for Education, for instance, sponsor Coming of Age ceremonies for Maasai girls that eschew the traditional genital mutilation. They also fund about 300 educational programs for young girls throughout the Kajiado District of Kenya, and this year will see several girls – their education funded solely by the beaders – graduate from college.

The Art

Beading is integral to Maasai culture, used to decorate both everyday objects and the more formal garments and jewelry reserved for ceremonies. Glass beads of different sizes are meticulously sewn by hand onto leather, plastic goods and gourds. Colors and patterns follow generations-old traditions, with different designs used for pieces meant for different age groups. The jewelry is especially striking, with its many, dazzling colors, and each bead tells a story about the artist’s life.