Basket weaving with Kithoto Women Group, Kyeengai

We are on the Institution Bus again, in rural Kenya, headed out from Wamunyu along dirt roads to Kithoto Women Group in Kyneengai. Elizabeth’s homestead is her home where she meets with other mothers and grandmothers. They have a great thing going. They meet to socialise, to educate one another, and to run small businesses. Today is all about their stunning basket weaving.

As we arrive, our chief, Sharon, warns us all to have our cameras ready before we get off the bus. It’s no use for me. I’m last off the bus and the singing and dancing greeting has already happened and there’s a procession from the bus to Elizabeth’s homestead heading away from me.

As we amble down the path I’m delighted to see there’s a song and dance greeting in the courtyard.

I particularly admire their ability to ululate. I don’t join in. All that wiggling your tongue from side to side and making a noise is fabulous.

One of our volunteers, Taryn, has a go at stripping the flesh off sisal leaves to leave only the stringy fibres. She winds the long leaf around her hand and drags it out between two metal plates embedded in a tree stump. When one half is done, she turns it around, grabs the stringy fibres and does the same with the other fleshy half. It’s then time to leave the fibres to dry before the strands can be twisted by the women into durable thin rope.

The strands can be left a natural colour or dyed using a variety of natural dyes using leaves, roots and ash. Here’s a small-scale demonstration using a wood fire and a metal pot.

Here’s volunteer Lindsey being shown a classic two-colour woven basket. They are intensely beautiful.

Here are three of the women giving a demonstration of the processes involved.

I love the faces of the people here. And the materials are fabulous.

There’ll be a chance for us to have articles made by the LitMoms using these wonderful prints. It’s another of the income generation opportunities offered by Kenya Connect, along with beekeeping. I fancy a shirt made by them.

After singing, dancing, introductions, demonstrations, hands-on experience, and refreshments, it’s time for the market, where we all get a chance to buy a hand-woven basket. It’s a scrum. As you know, I don’t buy dust-catchers and I have no room in my luggage for anything.

Naturally I buy one.

I do check later when I’m back in my tent whether I’m able to waggle my tongue and make a noise at the same time and am delighted to find that I can ululate and also delighted that no-one else can hear me. Having said that, my tent walls are pretty thin. I wonder what the other volunteers here think of my outburst of ululation?

Best not to mention it.

More adventures in Kenya