NAROK, Kenya: President William Ruto has commissioned the Ushanga Curio Mall at Sekenani Gate in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, a modern facility expected to improve market access and strengthen the livelihoods of approximately 30,000 women involved in beadwork.
The facility brings together women from 26 cooperatives, providing them with an organised and dignified space to produce, display and sell their traditional Maasai beadwork.
The new mall is expected to address longstanding challenges faced by women traders who have traditionally operated from open spaces exposed to harsh weather conditions, including rain, dust and scorching sunshine.
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With the modern facility, traders will have a more suitable environment to showcase their products to visitors and tourists visiting the world-famous Maasai Mara Game Reserve.
The project is also expected to promote Maasai cultural heritage by providing a dedicated platform for traditional beadwork while creating opportunities for women to expand their businesses and reach wider markets.
Beyond improving the working conditions of traders, the mall is expected to strengthen women's economic participation by supporting their access to customers and creating better opportunities for income generation.
The Ushanga Curio Mall represents an intersection between culture, tourism and economic empowerment, with traditional beadwork serving as both a cultural identity and an important source of livelihood for many Maasai women.
By bringing together 26 cooperatives under one modern facility, the initiative seeks to create a more structured marketplace where women can preserve their cultural traditions while benefiting economically from Kenya's tourism industry.
The project is expected to benefit approximately 30,000 women across the participating cooperatives, reinforcing the role of community-based enterprises in promoting inclusive economic growth.
The facility also adds to efforts to strengthen the connection between tourism and local communities by ensuring that women artisans have greater opportunities to benefit from visitors travelling to the Maasai Mara.