Kenyan Basket

Our Kenyan Baskets are handcrafted by a team of skilled weavers from Kenya's Eastern Region. Their exceptional talent is evident in the creation of beautiful, patterned storage baskets that are made with precision and care. The weavers reside in an arid region southwest of Nairobi, surrounded by hills and pineapple fields. They gather weekly in a cozy brick workshop led by the visionary and inspiring chairlady, Dorcas Ndinda, to weave and fulfill orders.

Dorcas, a hardworking single mother, and greengrocer established this weaving cooperative when she faced challenges providing for her family through her crops and sales. She recognized the exceptional basket weaving skills of several women in her village and approached them to learn their techniques, which led to establishing of a thriving cooperative. With government support, Dorcas received training in vital business practices such as leadership, health, hygiene, and agriculture. In contrast, the weavers received extensive training in quality control and marketing to help the collective grow and prosper.

The group continues to flourish as they receive more orders. It is an honor to showcase the talent and craftsmanship of these skilled weavers, and we take great pride in offering their exquisite baskets.

Source from The Basket Room

“We do not make our baskets in factories. Instead, they are handmade by individual artisans using traditional weaving skills that go back generations.”

Material

BANANA FIBER
- The banana tree requires no chemicals, fertilisers and little water to grow.
- The soil does not need to be tilled, a process which can cause soil degradation.
- The tree has a very short cultivation period and can be harvested every few months.
- Over a billion tonnes of banana plant stems are wasted each year due to the global demand for the fruit but limited demand for the plant.
SISAL
- Sisal requires no pesticides and limited water to grow.
- Grows well in rocky sections of farmland - this land would otherwise be unutilised and exposed to soil erosion.
- Sisal fibre is used globally for various products.
LUTINDZI GRASS
- An indigenous grass which grows on the rocky outcrops in the Swazi mountains.
DOUM PALM
- This material is even more tolerant than sisal and thrives in dry and hot conditions.
- The tree is drought resistant and can cope with as little as 600 mm of water per year.
- It produces a fruit which reputably tastes like gingerbread.
VETA VERA
- Also known as Elephant Grass, Veta Vera has low nutrient and water requirements, meaning it can be grown in otherwise uncultivated lands.
- Veta Vera actively improves soil fertility.
- Traditionally the grass was used for grazing. More recently, it has been used for pest management, to create firebreaks, and even to produce bio-oil, biogas and charcoal.
ILALA PALM
- A species of tree native to the Eastern Afritropics, particularly Zimbabwe and Madagascar.
- It produces a dark hard fruit that can be eaten and is likened to the taste of raisins.
- These reeds are dyed using bark before weaving.
MILULU GRASS
- This grass grows in swamp areas, river banks of Tanzania.
- The grass is known for their ability to retain water.
- The colour of milulu grass changes over time once woven, starting green and then turning a golden brown over a period of 1 to 2 months.