Danish school class places a large order for Maasai Beadwork Christmas decorations

17/10/2019

The children plan to sell the decorations at their local Christmas market and donate the proceeds to the Mara United School.

The members of the Maasai Rianda Women’s Group are very busy these days. Using their skill in traditional Maasai beadwork production, they are creating 200 Christmas balls and bells and 100 Maasai bead bracelets and earrings to be sent to Denmark in November.

The large – and hugely welcomed – order has been placed by students from Real10, a class of 28 youngster of the age of 15-16 at Ryomgaard Realskole in the Central Region of Denmark. In December the students will sell the Maasai Christmas decorations at their local Christmas market. The net profits will be donated to the Mara United School through their cooperation with the Karen Blixen Camp Trust.

“This great initiative taken by the students will ensure a most needed income for the women here just before Christmas” says Jesper Stagegaard, Co-Chair of the Karen Blixen Camp Trust and CEO of Ree Safari Park in Denmark.

A unique partnership

In 2018, Ree Park and the Karen Blixen Camp Trust partnered with the  Ryomgaard Realskole to develop an intercultural experience for the REAL10 students. Ree Park and the Trust connected students to partner institutions of the Trust, the Mara United School, the women’s group, and the local village of Mararianta.

The partnership between the school and the Karen Blixen Camp Trust will enable students from the Real10 to go on a study trip to Kenya, and visit the Mara United School, in the Spring of 2020 and in future years.

Here they will work with the local students and arrange a garbage collecting day in the local village and plant trees. They will also teach the smaller children in the local school about sustainability and climate change.

“Our goal is to give both the Danish and the Kenyan students a glimpse of other people’s cultural and social conditions”, tells Jens Steenberg, 10th grade teacher and project manager. “The study trip to Kenya fits perfectly into what we call the school’s international profile: We travel first in Denmark, then in Scandinavia, afterwards in the EU, and finally in the world – represented by Kenya”.

“We are looking very much forward to welcoming the REAL10 class in Kenya in the Spring” says Jesper Stagegaard.

“Apart from meeting other students, the class will meet the women producing their Christmas decorations. They will for sure tell the students how important this big order has been for the women and their families. I am sure this will make a huge impression on the youngsters” ends Jesper Stagegaard.

Did you get inspired by this story? If you want to know more about how to order some of the fantastic maasai Christmas decorations, please contact camp manager Lillian Kathambi at lillian@karenblixencamp.com