Esiteti Women’s Collective
The Maasai women of Esiteti/Embaringoi are transforming their community through innovation, resilience, and collaboration. As the backbone of their villages, these remarkable women have launched diverse income-generating enterprises that sustain their families while protecting the natural world they call home.
From the foothills of Kilimanjaro to the vast plains of the Amboseli ecosystem, these women are pioneering ventures that provide food security, economic independence, and environmental sustainability for generations to come. Each project reflects their deep connection to the land and their unwavering commitment to building a thriving future.
This page celebrates their extraordinary work through honoring the projects, partnerships, and perseverance that are uplifting an entire community.
Embaringoi Kitchen Gardens
In June 2025, the women of Esiteti launched the Embaringoi Kitchen Gardens with support from Samuel Lekato, founder of the local Maasai environmental organization Enduata Emaa. These innovative permaculture systems transform water scarcity into abundance by using minimal water to produce thriving vegetables year-round.
The women have established 40 garden towers, maintained weekly by their business cooperatives, which now yield an impressive harvest for surrounding communities. The gardens serve a dual purpose: vegetables are sold to surrounding communities, creating vital income streams, while also nourishing the women’s own families with fresh, nutritious food. Through these towers, the women are cultivating more than crops, they are growing food sovereignty, economic independence, and resilience in the face of climate challenges across the Amboseli region.
Naretoi Embarinkoi Women’s Group
For over 15 years, the Naretoi Embarinkoi Women’s Group has been the heartbeat of economic empowerment in Esiteti/Embaringoi. This dynamic cooperative unites more than 100 Maasai women from villages surrounding Esiteti Primary School, creating a powerful network of mutual support and shared success.
Over the past two years, with foundation funding from ASK and generous donors, the women have launched small business collectives, each comprised of 10+ members who pool resources and share responsibilities. These enterprises are as diverse as the women themselves: livestock cooperatives raising and selling goats, a wedding rental service providing tents and chairs for community celebrations, market vendors selling fresh vegetables and charcoal, and artisans creating traditional beadwork that honors their cultural heritage.
Beads of Esiteti
While Beads of Esiteti has transitioned from a formal ASK enterprise, the women of Esiteti/Embaringoi continue their ancient tradition of creating intricate beadwork, each piece a living testament to Maasai culture, identity, and artistry. Through their craft, they adorn their community, preserve ancestral knowledge, and generate vital income for their families.
Shauna Mistretta, founder of Beads of Esiteti, maintains her deep connection to the women by traveling regularly to Kenya, returning home with carefully selected pieces to sell on their behalf. Every purchase directly supports the Naretoi Embarinkoi Women’s Group, with 100% of proceeds flowing back to the cooperative.
For the Maasai, beads are more than adornment, they are life itself. Each color, pattern, and design carries meaning, tells stories, and connects the wisdom of elders to the hands of younger generations. By supporting their beadwork, you help sustain a vibrant cultural legacy while empowering women to thrive.
To host an event or purchase beadwork:
Contact Shauna Mistretta at www.re-wild-kenya.com
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