About – Red Tribe

Our story

RedTribe Beadwork began with one widow called Koko, a handful of beads, and a shared vision.

When I first moved with my husband Hennie and our three tiny kids to live among a traditional Maasai community in remote Kenya in 2009, I quite quickly found my place among the women — sitting together, drinking Maasai chai, sharing stories, and learning all about the ancient art of Maasai beadwork. With my background in art and design, it felt natural to collaborate, combining traditional Maasai beading techniques with contemporary design to create something really unique.

What started as a small group around a kitchen table has grown slowly and organically into a vibrant enterprise employing around twenty highly skilled Maasai women. Together, we’ve built a beautiful workshop where creativity and community flourish. Each day, the women gather to make jewellery, chat, sing, pray, laugh and drink chai — a safe space that belongs to them, where they can be themselves, and enjoy their craft.

At its heart, RedTribe is about empowerment — giving women the opportunity to earn a fair income, learn new skills, and grow in the confidence of who Enkai (the Maasai word for God) made them to be.

Every piece of RedTribe jewellery carries this spirit — the strength, beauty, and resilience of the women who make it, and the shared hope for a brighter future.

Profits

Every piece of RedTribe jewellery creates a ripple of positive change through the Maasai community. Profits provide fair wages to our artisans, empowering widows and marginalised women to support their families with dignity.

Beyond immediate income, we invest our profits in the future by sponsoring gifted girls through their education, giving them the opportunity to pursue their dreams instead of facing FGM and early marriage. We're proud that one of our sponsored students recently became the first girl in her community to complete secondary school and is now preparing to study law at university. Profits also support the Maasai Academy, including training female teachers who inspire the next generation.

When you choose to shop with RedTribe, you're not just buying beautiful jewellery, you're investing in education, healthcare, and sustainable livelihoods that transform lives and preserve Maasai culture for generations to come.