Maasai Market Empowerment Trust is a non profit making organization whose key objective is to uplift the standard of living of the people in the arts and crafts industry. It’s registered in Kenya as a public charitable trust and is led by a board of trustees drawn from the industry and from other strategic movements with similar ideals. A legal counsel acts as the sectary to the board. It draws its membership from the thousands of small holdings dealing in artifacts, majority who are women and mainly concentrates on the primary producers and designers of these products who are most vulnerable to unfair trade practices due to low literacy levels on intellectual property rights and lack basic infrastructure to harness their huge potential. The trust is open to both individual and corporate membership. An advisory council is at hand to help in the formulation and execution of programs when need arises .The trust’s action plan is drawn from the key challenges facing the industry and can be summarized as follows:
I. Community development and microfinance
The artifacts industry is basically small holdings which more often than not face challenges of financing due to lack of easy access to credit This program is designed to look into the problem, by establishing a micro credit facility where members can access credit at low interest rates. This program will also encompass a training program on business management and streamline the day to day running of open air markets, with issues such as security, sanitary and planning taking centre stage by liaising with financial institutions and other relevant actors. The program will target women and the youth who form the bulk of membership.
II. Intellectual property rights
This program has been formulated in light of what has been happening on the global scene where some international companies have moved in to patent products which have deep roots in Kenya, such as the kiondo and the kikoi. These two products have been key earners for women groups in Ukambani and the Coast which are some of the most marginalized communities in the country and their patenting has already had a huge impact on the market due to reduced sales. This will in no doubt lead to increased poverty in those regions reversing our effort toward reaching the Millennium Development Goals. It’s further feared that if the creative designers in the arts and crafts industry who use local materials to produce unique designs are not sensitized on intellectual property rights, then more of original Kenyan products will be lost further aggravating the problem. It’s challenge that the program seeks to tackle through workshops, seminars, newsletters, campaigns and events while highlighting the followin
· Patent issues
· Distinctive signs
· Copyright and related rights
· Industrial designs
· Trade secrets
In order to develop capacity to deliver on the above, the trust will run a resource centre where legal research on Kenyan laws as pertains to intellectual property will be carried out and a data base on the same established. This centre will work hand in hand with the Legal Research and Advisory Centre (LRAC), an affiliate organization dealing with legal issues on intellectual property rights. The trust is in the process of applying for a license from the Kenya Intellectual Property Institute (KIPI) to operate as an intellectual property registration agency to assist in patenting and recording of intellectual property designs for its members. Other services in the offing are:
III. Health Care and social security
This will involve the procurement of affordable healthcare for members by liaising with suitable healthcare institutions in the form of health insurance where members contribute a token amount and are able to access quality healthcare. This will cover the immediate family members.
IV. Marketing
The trust is in the process of setting up an effective marketing mechanism to boost sales by the formulation and implementation of the Curio Export Council whose key objective will be to link the local producer to the global market through fairs, exhibitions summer market days and other relevant methods. The trust is also in the process of publishing the first magazine to market products from members. The magazine will be free and will be distributed to most areas popular with tourist. It will also be available on the internet alongside the organizations website.
Membership
The trust is open to both individual and corporate membership.
Individual membership
This is designed for those who are creative innovators and who are actually the engine of this industry and who wish to have their creative ideas protected by law against abuse by unscrupulous traders both within the country and world wide. It’s envisaged that if well protected this designs will eventually lead to accumulation of wealth and thus in reduction of poverty which as of now stands at 56% of the total population. Members automatically qualify for a wide range of support services such as:
· Microfinance support
· Intellectual property rights support
· Training in business management and marketing
· Training in intellectual property laws
· Healthcare
· Marketing
Corporate membership
This is designed for those organizations in the industry and out of the industry who would wish to work with the trust on various matters. This could be interested micro financing institutions, community development institutions, corporate organizations and companies, savings and credit organization, organizations with similar interest etc. The corporate membership fee is Kshs 50,000 per annum. This does not however prevent such organizations from supporting other projects within the trust as they may desire.
