Tamokcub Project

The following was sent by Samuel Omweri to explain more about his intentions and the products.  I am taking the liberty to correct some of his grammar, spelling, and mechanics. Product images are dispersed throughout the text.  As of now, Kentesource.com has not set up a purchasing option...it's a work in progress.  If you are interested, feel free to contact Samuel (see bottom of text). Just do me the favor of letting him know you found his product through this web site.  I do NOT earn a referral fee but do want him to know the time he has invested in me was not wasted.

"Dear Sir/Madam

We are an artisans from Western Kenya who are looking for business partnership and community development.

Herein below is the information about our organization:

We welcome you to work together and make changes in our communities.

Tamokcub Project is a non-profit organization in Western Kenya founded by local volunteers. It has hundred artisans who make various handcrafts such as soapstone carvings, wood carvings, baskets, bags, T-shirts, jewelry and others products.

The project has been devised to assist the development of a sustainable industry using those native resources that are readily available. Proceeds from the project go towards the project member’s children’s education and to raise the health of all the project participants.

This project seeks to blend the resourceful creativity of the Kenyan artisans with knowledge of western world marketing distribution brought to the project by an experienced business coach.

The vision is to develop a unique product line that will attract the interest of the world, be low cost to distribute globally and be high in unique skilled labor content but low in other production costs. The business developed must be capable of sustaining the group in the long term. With economic sustainability the health and education benefits will flow.

To meet this requirement the group is working on unique handcrafts concepts from various artisans within and around Kisii. All the profit generated from the sales will go the Tamokcub Committee for distribution in accordance with their constitution. In addition, 50% of the project costs will be expended in the Kenyan artisan groups. The constitution and committee officers are elected by the general members annually.

HEALTH AND ENVIRONMENT

This group which is found in the western part of country faces many problems of diseases mainly malaria, and HIV/ AIDS. For example 88% of the community have malaria, 60% have HIV/AIDS and their average life expectancy has nearly halved over a period of 15 years as HIV/AIDS has taken its toll. Children born with HIV/AIDS seldom live beyond age of 15 years.

The group’s predominant industry is agriculture. The group as a main central workshop and other various home workshops where they are making their products. The group rents their main workshop. There are no electricity, water or communication services installed. Their homes are predominately mud and stick buildings.

Drought has become the primary issue. A secondary effect on drought in the north and west of the country is forcing human and livestock movement to find grazing further south. Anthrax is a health issue associated with the livestock movements.

EDUCATION

Education is scarce, around one third of teachers in the rural areas have been lost to HIV/AIDS. The Kenyan government has decreed universal primary education but the reality on the ground is the cost of equipment and uniforms, the need for younger family members to take care of their sick members, and the lack of teachers, all conspire to make general primary education of the group’s children currently unachievable. Secondary education is rare.

So we highly welcome any organizations e.g. fair trade organization, N.G.Os and others to partnership with us to assist as in marketing, representing and developing our communities. 

Contact person: Samuel Omweri email."  Waiting for authorization to release his email address.  In the mean time contact me.

In subsequent conversations I also found out:

"The colors we use are not harmful and do not contain any lead or any harmful substance. So they can be used at the table but we recommend not using liquids i.e water."