Mama Masai was founded by Joy Stephens, who spent seventeen years in Nepal followed by another eight in Tanzania. During that time she worked with different groups of mainly women on a variety of development projects. Mama Masai was born from her experience in the field. Joy’s idea was to train Masai women to produce original craftwork using traditional beading skills and sell it to generate extra income for their families.

Devastating Drought
Joy’s attention was brought to the plight of the Masai people in 2000 after years of devastating drought led to the loss of up to 90% of their livestock herds. For the Masai, cattle and goats are a means of livelihood, and are used as a form of in-kind currency. They eat the meat, drink the milk, and make a variety of goods both to use and sell, including leather which they tan themselves. The drought destroyed their herds and therefore their wealth, their earning potential and the inheritance passed on by one generation to the next, leaving them in a desperate position.