In Maasai culture, beadwork is a tradition passed down from mothers to daughters, but that tradition is slowly being erased. As pastoral land gives way to urban life, time-honoured beadwork is quietly being replaced and the skill risks fading from younger generations. Sidai design's mission is to preserve this age-old Maasai tradition through sustainable employment for Maasai women. Every piece is a small act of preservation.
What started with just 5 beaders in a small workshop down a dusty back road in Arusha, Tanzania, has now grown into a community of more than 120 Maasai beaders.
For Msanii, Sidai Designs is our first collection: hand-beaded necklaces and earrings, made slowly, by the same community keeping this craft alive.