​2024 was our first full operating year. We, the Beats of Beads team, had an exciting, productive, and creative year. Most importantly, we are now financially self-sustaining and operating with a positive balance.

Our team

We currently have four salaried employees:

• A night guard

• A gardener/day laborer

• Two museum guides

As CEO, I continue to work full-time without a salary.

 

What We Accomplished This Year

   

The Museum

The museum remains our main attraction, driving both shop and

cafeteria revenue. Recognizing its importance, I dedicated time

in Nairobi visiting tour operators to promote it.

In 2024, we welcomed approximately 400 paying visitors (averaging

one per day) and thousands of non-paying guests—mostly Kenyan nationals

and schoolchildren.

Photo Exhibition

In May, we updated the gallery to showcase Ella Waldman's stunning

exhibition - My African Odyssey.

 

Workshops (with support from the Israeli Embassy)

• Bead-making: Led by Ilana Levy

• Doll and recycled bead-making: Conducted by artist Noga Shani

• Body language and presentation: Taught by HR specialist Ms. Einat Koren

 

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Empowering Maasai Women

To provide a safe, welcoming space for the women who work with us,

we made the following improvements:

• Installed shelves for them to store their heavy baskets overnight.

• Added a mobile charging station.

• Offered access to a refrigerator for milk purchased during the day.

• Opened the complex from first to last light for free movement.

How we work

We design the jewelry, estimate production time, supply the beads, and pay the

women based on output. A dedicated woman can earn between 500–1,000 Ksh per

day.

Immediate daily payments

Unlike similar organizations, we pay women daily, so they never leave without earnings. We cover production costs in advance and absorb the risk until items are sold.

Challenges

During peak tourist months (July–October), it remains difficult to keep women engaged, as they believe chasing tourists may yield quicker income. In low season, all interested women receive beading assignments and get money in the end of the day.

Sales

Currently, all beaded products are sold exclusively in our shop. Expanding into new markets would allow us to increase job opportunities for women.

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Beading Workshops for Tourists

We also offer beading workshops for tourists—each participant is paired with a Maasai woman who teaches them how to bead a bracelet. It’s a fun, hands-on cultural exchange that also provides an additional source of income for the women.

 

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Manager

Einat Koren volunteered to help us find a project manager. Although we recruited a promising candidate in September, she was found unsuitable. Additionally, we realized that the current structure—especially my daily presence—makes a full-time manager unnecessary.

Instead, we opted to hire an additional museum guide. I will continue to manage marketing, PR, and accounting.

 

Infrastructure & Development

• Solar System: Installed with a donation from the Israeli Embassy, now powering the entire complex and significantly reducing electricity costs.

• Water Tank: A 10,000-liter tank (also donated by the Israeli Embassy) now meets all our water needs and furthers our sustainability efforts.

• Guest Rooms: Operational since May and generating substantial income.

• Cafeteria: Mostly used by room guests; still has room for growth

• Souvenir shop: Offers a growing variety of locally handmade jewelry.

• Tree Nursery: We established a small non-profit nursery to beautify and

     replant Sekenani; flower seeds are distributed for free.

• Vegetable Garden: Planted for staff consumption (spinach, broccoli, kale, parsley, green peppers); baboons enjoy our lone papaya tree at dawn!

 

Community Projects

1. Furnished the local chief’s office using leftover construction materials.

2. Led a clean-up campaign in Sekenani for World Environment Day in June.

3. Planted trees throughout the year—each at least 1 meter tall with well-developed root systems to ensure strong growth.

 

 

 

Finances

We are nearing true financial independence. In 2024, we received three targeted international donations:

• $100 (from Moshe Ash) for a drill.

• $6,000 (from Ella Waldman) to support her extraordinary photo exhibition.

• A laptop (from Ronen & Simcha Raz) to kickstart a computer learning project.

Bank Status

• Opening balance: 1,414,479 Ksh.

• Closing balance: 1,144,247.95 Ksh.

 

Looking Ahead – 2025 Goals

• Add a strategic partner (e.g., a local lodge) to ensure steady visitor flow

• Recruit another museum guide

• Host three new beading workshops

• Launch a computer skills course for secondary school graduates – we need  more laptops donatations.

• Continue community projects: more tree planting and street naming.

• Expand market access and income opportunities for Maasai women.

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Thank you, Eti