BASECAMP MAASAI BRAND AT BIZARRE BAZAAR NOVEMBER 2010
Come visit us at this years annual Christmas Bazaar in Nairobi. 19th-22nd November at Koitabas Road no 414, near Hardy dukas and Giraffe Centre.
The Biz Baz is a vibrant marketplace full of cool stalls with Kenyan shopping. So don't miss it!
Looking forward to see you there!
NEW PROJECT OFFICER
Jemimah Sairowua is Project Officer for BMB.
Jemimah started her work with Basecamp Maasai Brand in August 2010 and has taken over the responsibility of running and managing the project. Jemimah grew up in Naroosura village close to Euwaso Eniro and after finishing High School at Limuru Girls she continued to study Tourism and Marketing at Utalii Collage in Nairobi for two years. With two years experience from working for a tour company she married Jacob Sairowua and moved to the Talek region of Masai Mara.
Jemimah is dedicated to helping her community and she says the best part of the job is to work with the women, to sit with them and share stories and ideas.
Jemimah will also be one of the peer educators for Basecamp Biotisho wellness program focusing on health and HIV awareness outreach. She will have sessions with the women and by that spread important knowledge and awareness among the community members.
To contact Jemimah please mail: bmb@basecampexplorer.co.ke
SAVINGS SCHEME WITH FAULU KENYA
Since May 2010 BMB is collaboration with Faulu Kenya and the set up of a savings scheme for the women. When the women are paid they can individually chose how much of their earnings they want to save. The project management staff assists the women with recording these deposits and usually Nancy and one of the women travels to Narok to bank the money together. About 3/4 of the women now have their own bank accounts and there is also a common account for the whole group.
This is a very positive change for the women and they have started to see the benefits of being able to save.
REBRANDING
As you may have noticed we have changed our name slighty...TMB has now become BMB - Basecamp Maasai Brand.
The new name; Basecamp Maasai Brand, is aiming to link the project and the business/foundation closer together in all our communication and marketing and is part of Basecamp’s efforts of streamlining our brand and image. So don’t be too surprised when you hear us refer to the project as BMB – Basecamp Maasai Brand.
We are still the same women working hard to create a sustainable future for our families!
FAIR TRADE and COFTA MEMBERSHIP
The Maasai Brand is since 1st of June 2009 a member of COFTA- Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa. This means we have proved that the project is working with international Fair Trade standards and that we are on the way to become WFTO certified.
COFTA is the African network under WFTO- World Fair Trade Organization. To become WFTO registered the first step is to get approval by COFTA, if the application is approved by the board you become probationary member, until the organization has effectively gone through and completed the monitoring process that includes: Self Assessment, Peer Review and External Verification. This process may take up to 2 years. We still have a long way to go before we can use the WFTO logo, but this was the first major step and we are intending on working hard to live up to the standards and become officially Fair Trade!
To read more about COFTA and WFTO please go to www.cofta.org and www.wfto.com
From COFTA's website www.cofta.org:
"On completion of the Monitoring Process, organizations receive authority to us the Fair Trade Organization (FTO) Mark. All members are obliged to go through the monitoring process every 2-3 years.
The process may seem long, however it has been designed as a guarantee to Fair Trade consumers that we are indeed a network of Fair Trade producers working to make a difference and contributing towards poverty alleviation and development. It also assists us to protect our reputation and as such protect our markets. For organizations looking to join COFTA, IFAT, or become Fair Trade Organization, this goal must be at the core of their businesses.
We, Fair Trade Organizations are united in our fight against poverty and for fairer World trading rules. We work together, determined to overcome the injustice that threatens the very future of our planet. We are taking this message and our FTO Mark around the world to tell everyone, everywhere, that we truly believe that Fair Trade can help alleviate poverty in Africa.
Be with us! Speak out for Trade Justice! Support Fair Trade! "
