Hyacinth Crafts and Ziwa Creations are two of a number of small businesses that grew out of the activities of the Kisumu Innovation Centre (KICK) involving communities on the shores of Lake Kisumu in Northern Kenya.

The original idea was to strengthen the “Juakali” (or “those who work under the hot sun”), which is the informal manufacturing sector, providing 75% of all employment opportunities throughout Kenya.  A needs assessment exercise discovered less than 1% of the Juakali had any management skills, and KICK programmes were designed to provide non financial services like training, marketing, product development, communications, design and letterheads etc.

A number of small initiatives have grown out of this, including Hyacinth Crafts and Ziwa Creations.

Millicent Olol originally joined KICK as a volunteer and has now developed Hyacinth Crafts business with a partner.  Through the sale of hyacinth papers products she has saved and invested in the business which sells mainly in the local market but exports a little.

Around 70 artisans are involved in harvesting and processing the water hyacinth, making the paper and producing the finished products.

Water hyacinth grows wild on the waterways and there is an abundant supply available.

Ziwa Creations took over marketing from KICK in 1997 with the aim of trading sustainably and providing access to markets for crafts people.  Eventually it is hoped that Ziwa will generate income for KICK’s development activities.

As soon as Ziwa is profitable, the aim is to privatise it, with all the artisans holding shares and electing their own board of directors.

All products are made of recycled material – wire retrieved from written off vehicles and old telephone lines, tin sheets misprinted at the brewery, metal mesh from car oil filters as well as paper, plastics, glass, rubber, bones and organic matter, all recycled.