When we talk of God given talents, the word is often well expressed through the works of Batik Post cards, Batik artworks and other forms of artwork. Ordinarily, these artworks are made by outgoing talented individuals artists. Most of them undergo their training at various institutions in the country such as the young men Christian Association (YMCA). The Kenya Polytechnic and Youth Polytechnics formerly known as Village Polytechnics. Some develop the artistic talent or skill through the hand of more experienced artists or through encouragement from friends and relatives. Many of the artists come from rural, urban and pre-urban squatter villages. Almost all of them are married and as such their use of God given talent is so handy as their main source of income. A majority of the artist operate at their respective homesteads. It is a thing which is not only cost effective but of added value to building the family social and cultural bond. The selling of Batiks, cards and other forms of artworks is often done by individual artists and in rare cases by a group of artists who come together as a means of attaining socio-economic gains. This is done in the spirit of seeking recognition which would otherwise not be possible to be accomplished or realized by working in isolation. This kind of initiative is informed by the fact that groups attract assistance more easily than an individual. Most of the products that the artist are able to come up with using natural material, display a significant touch of cultural value or national heritage. It is indeed impossible to enumerate each and every single item that come out of these creative individual artisans/brains. The materials used are cotton clothes or silk, various dyes for colouring, wax to separate colours, while iron charcoal box is used to clear off wax. The production process is quite involving and labour intensive. The use of natural material is already growing popular in that even maize cobs, water plants and other types of leaves are now handy in the hands of creative artist. Some of the products made are things like Bird figures, Christmas tree decos, wall hangings, animals, traditional homesteads or Kenyan people in their ethnic attires such as the Maasais, Pokots, Turkana, etc. Each batik piece of work can be produced according to the customer's tastes and interests in terms of colour, design etc. Many of the art does give insights that express value of life and people's culture thus depicting natural heritage e.g. wildlife birds, animals, people including abstract art e.t.c. In recent years, some artist have come up with Batik bone designed house utility items like spoons, knives, Beer opener or even cultural custom dress etc.
The production of wood carving in Kenya is associated with the Akamba ethnic community of the arid and semi-arid eastern region of Kenya. The art of woodcarving dates back to 450 years ago. In other words, it is a perfected skill, which has been passed on from one generation to the next. The young apprentice works among the seasoned master carvers; learning all the techniques of the craft form splitting the timber to carving and hand polishing the finished forms. Many of the artisans specialize in sculpting a series of African forms, including the exotic wide range of wild animals found in Kenya and East Africa. All carvings must meet rigid standards of quality for the export market. While production norms are maintained, no two pieces are ever exactly the same. Traditionally, the women role is to sand paper the finished product as part of quality touch in terms of coming up with high quality products. The art of woodcarving as one would rightly put it is in Akamba people's blood. The carvers age range from 18-65 years. Kenya has over 60,000 highly skilled craftsmen who produce tones of woodcarvings a month. Woodcarving as an income generating activity supports about 350,000 people. The woodcarving production is by nature labor intensive. The craftsmen model each form using simple tools made from animal hide, local wood and spring steel fashioned into adzes and knives. No machinery is used in the process of transferring a tree- truck into hundreds of items both decorative and functional. The woodcarving products are very popular with the tourists visiting Kenya. Kenya's woodcarving items have over the years been exported to almost all parts of the world. The wood carvings products have not only acted as a source of income for a large number of Akamba community but have also been a commodity that has over the years earned Kenya a substantial amount of foreign exchange. This has been realized through the sale of a wide range of decorative and utility products such as the animal figures, traditional people masks, bookends, salad servers and many other items. Some of the wood that the carvers use or cut down have now come to be enlisted as endangered species and for that reason, the government has come up with stringent measure that requires planting of at least two trees for each tree fallen or cut. Besides that, the government has also put tough measures, which require issuance of license before any tree is cut or fallen down. These measures are aimed at avoiding further deforestation in Akamba arid and semi-arid areas and the entire country in general. According to the available research/statistics, the carvers need for wood account to 10% of the national consumption of hard wood.
Jewellery as a product is made by people from every corner of the country. Kenya is a multicultural society in that we have the cultures or ethnic groups with diverse value and cultural systems. Understandably therefore the art of bead making or jewellery is not specific to a given community or region. Most jewellery has a combination of locally sourced natural materials and tends to have an authentic touch identical with the cultural background of the producers or artist. Kenya has an abundant wealth of raw materials. These range from semi precious stones, cow or goat bones, horn, wood, seeds, leather items, decorated items from kisii soapstone, imported African traditional beads from different African regions in the south, west, east and central Africa. Other materials used are copper, brass, and aluminum to mention but just a few. However, the items need to be made more neatly inorder to command ready sale in overseas market. There are some jewellery products whose products are synonymous with the product or community e.g. the Maasai community and particularly the Maasai woman present distinctly rich variety of their traditional fashion accessories. Responding to the market trends and tastes or market driven designs and demand is very crucial in the marketing of jewellery products. To this end therefore, all efforts are made to come up with creatively designed product by using semi precious and natural materials in making items like brooches, bangles, bracelets, hair ornaments, ear rings necklaces etc. The point is there is already a wide range of creatively and cultural rich design of jewellery products available from Kenya that sells at differentiated price depending on the raw materials used.
* Hass avocado is a cultivar of Persea Americana that is dark green with bumpy skin. Avocado is a large berry that contains a single seed, and the fruit is pear shaped, nearly round, oval or less necked, measuring 7-20cm long and width of 15cm * Where is Hass Avocado grown in Kenya. Hass avocados in Kenya grow in areas such as lower Nyanza, Central rift valley, Central Kenya and all western Kenyan counties that have the best climatic conditions. Hass avocado grows well in certain Eastern Kenya counties, including Kathiani (Iveti Hills), Mua Hills, Kangundo, Machakos county, parts of Mbooni and other potential areas of Meru and Embu counties. Hass avocados grow well in rainfall of 1000m to 2000m, and the fruit is large in cooler areas, unlike in warm areas. The recommended temperatures are between 20to and 24 degrees Celcius. The best soils for Hass avocados are alluvial loams and sandy soils with a PH of 5 to 7. Season * It is vital to know when to harvest the avocados as it is done when they are raw and ripen off the tree. Hass harvesting season is from June through September as they flower around October. Hass has a nutty taste, high flat flesh and an almond butter texture, making it a favourite worldwide. Health Benefits * Avocados have high beneficial and healthy fats that help people remain full between meals. Hass avocados are a source of folate, niacin, Vitamins K, E, C and B6, potassium, pantothenic acid and magnesium. The fruit provides omega-3 fatty acids, beta carotene, and lutein. Folate is vital for a healthy pregnancy as adequate consumption reduces the risk of miscarriage and neural tube abnormalities. From research done, one avocado contains 160 mcg. The trusted Sources were 600 mcg (micrograms A trusted source of folate is recommended for a pregnant person. It also contains fatty acids that help with fetal development. * Studies have revealed that avocados are a great source of folate. Trusted Sources help with depression. Folate offers help in preventing the buildup of homocysteine that can impair the delivery and circulation of nutrients to the brain. Past reviews have linked Trusted Source with more homocysteine production to cognitive dysfunction and serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine production that helps regulate appetite, sleep and mood * Avocados are a natural detox due to the fibre that promotes regular bowel movements that help excrete toxins through stool and bile. Hass avocados have a dietary fibre that promotes microbial diversity and gut health by maintaining a healthy bacterial balance that reduces the aggravation and inflammation of the digestive tract. * Avocado oil and avocados have antimicrobial properties, and research shows that the extracts of the seeds can assist in defending the body against Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus agalactiae infections
About Cayenne The Portuguese introduced pineapples to Kenya. It is scientifically known as Ananas comosus from the Bromeliaceae family. Nzuri fruits export fresh and healthy pineapples from Kenya. The fruits are sourced from smallholders and large scale farmersâ??.The large-scale production is mainly done in Central Kenya, and the small-scale farmers are in Central, Coast, and Western regions. Cayenne is grown commercially both for fresh market and canning in Kenya. Where is Cayenne Pineapple grown in Kenya? Pineapples in Kenya are grown in Kisii, Thika, and Malindi, where they rise from the sea level up to 2000m, and the maximum is 1800m to prevent the fruit from turning acidic and sour. Pineapples grow well in drained sand loams, non-compacted loams, and clay loams soil with no heavy rocks and clay. Pineapples need a mixture of loamy and sandy soils that has looseness of approximately 60 centimeters deep. The pineapples are available throughout the year. Pineapples grow under the warm condition of 20 Celsius but can survive up to 45 Celsius. It is sensitive to cold weather but can survive in cool weather. Health benefits Pineapple fruits can be eaten fresh, processed into juice, dried and glace fruits, salads, puddings, sauces, and cooked in cakes and pies. In Kenya, dried pineapples are a popular snack, and the fruits are canned as spirals and slices. The fruit is rich in bromelain, that help treat sports injuries. The by-products of pineapple canning can be used as cattle feed or vinegar, or pineapple wine production. The fruit lowers osteoarthritic pain associated with joint, arthritis, and chronic inflammation. It contains a chemical that obstructs the tumor cells growth and slows down blood clotting. The anti-inflammatory properties in the pineapples help lower swelling and bruising, whereas the scavenger enzyme helps in eliminating the damaged cells. The Cayenne pineapples have bromelain that cat as anti-cancer properties and suppresses cancer cells growth. Pineapples have a high content of antioxidants such as flavonoids, vitamin A, beta carotene, and manganese. Pineapples are a good source of vitamin B that helps the body process the food one consumes. Pineapples offer Vitamin C, making them a rich source of ascorbic acid that helps improve the immune system by stimulating blood cell activity and lowering illnesses such as flu. And for forming red blood cells. Pineapples are a weight loss booster and help in fat burning through the enzymes in the fruit. It is also a post-workout recovery that can be consumed in a smoothie and help gain the training regimen by assisting in quick muscle recovery. Our pineapple varieties include Cayenne pineapples, available throughout the year in sizes 6, 7, 8, and 10
Cement, bitumen, other construction materials.Exporter
Avocado grafted plant.
Baobab, honey, packaging materials.Export and imports
Snails, african giant land snails, achatina achatina and archachatina, marginata.
Maize flour, tea leaves.
Aloe vera plants.Clearing agents
Gypsum, calcium carbonate, white cement, wallputty.
Cement, Machinery, Steel, Iron, Textiles..
Gum-myrrh, gum-arabic, gum-aloe vera, gum-olibanum, gum-opoponax.
Sesame seeds, myrrh, oilbanum , aloe vera.
Clinker, cement and coal.
Water Treatment Plants And Chemicals.
Cement & vegetables such as cabbage, kales, Capsicum, onions, tomatoes.
Mondia whitei root and powder.
Lapidary equipment and related accessories.
