Kazuri: Women Helping Women, by Susan Aylworth

Kazuri is a Swahili word meaning "It's good." The Kazuri bead factory and shop in Nairobi, Kenya is good. Founded by a single mom who learned she could make and sell pretty beads, the facility now hires only single moms, and what they accomplish is amazing. Good people who help others are among the many gifts for which I am grateful this season.

When our group pulled in beside the factory, we were greeted by Stella who introduced herself as our guide. She toured us through the factory and the shop, showing us the work in progress along the way.

Everything we saw, even the lights in the factory, was decked in ceramic beads. We watched talented creators form beads from the clay of Mt. Kenya mixed with silica and other substances. Other women shaped tiny ceramic elephants or other creatures intended as keepsakes. 

An accomplished team put formed ceramic products into a kiln while others painted the finished beads. Each of the women has developed a signature style for her work. Some of the beads simulate natural stones or gems; others are shapes and colors not found in nature. 

The beads they produce come in varied styles, some elegant and some whimsical, and are eventually put together in different earrings, bracelets, and necklaces in many sizes. 

While I very much admire the work these talented women produce, I am equally impressed with their purpose. One single mother found a way to support her family, and she is now paying it forward, bringing teams of other women into her work. It's women helping women, and our world can always use that.

You can see the work these ladies produce, and possibly even indulge yourself or a loved one with a lovely gift at the Kazuri Beads online store. As the Swahili name says, "It's good."

When you're thinking of a small indulgence, check out All Roads Lead to Christmas Town, available now for preorder and releasing November 29. It's a collection of the first three Christmas Town novels, three full books in one for only $1.99. 

May you enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, my friends. Know I am grateful for you all. 

Susan Aylworth is the author of 26 published novels including two small-town sweet romance series set in and near the Navajo Nation and in the Sierra Nevada foothills, as well as five books in the Christmas Town series. Susan lives near Utah's Rocky Mountains. CHASING RAINBOWS, Book 10 in her Rainbow Rock Romances, was released in September, the anthology ALL ROADS LEAD TO CHRISTMAS TOWN releases this week,  and Book 6 in the Christmas Town series, A VALENTINE IN CHRISTMAS TOWN, is coming in January. Susan loves travel, music, her large and scattered family, perfect raspberry jam, and hearing from readers. Contact her at her website: susanaylworthauthor.com,  or via susan.aylworth.author@gmail.com, also @SusanAylworth.