One cool thing about traveling through Kenya last summer was the number of fellow-travelers we met who were visiting from other parts of Africa. We met Kevine Kagirimpundu of Rwanda and B’Nor Mackey, originally from Ghana, at Nairobi’s Karen Blixen Museum. Kiki and I were curious about the place because of the 1985 Meryl Streep / Robert Redford movie “Out of Africa.” Kevine and B’nor had never heard of the movie, and were visiting the place for the simple reason that it was on a Viator list of “Top Things to See in Nairobi”.
We’re glad we struck up a conversation while walking the grounds of the museum, since it turns out that Kevine is the CEO & co-founder of Uzuriky, a Rwanda-based shoe company that repurposes old car tires to create eco-friendly footwear.
According to her company’s website, “UZURI K&Y ingeniously repurposes used car tires, transforming them into functional and fashionable footwear. Beyond their commitment to sustainable fashion, UZURI K&Y is dedicated to empowering African women by equipping them with practical and soft skills essential for securing employment or establishing their own small businesses.”
So it happened that, just a few days after visiting the Blixen Museum, Kiki and I visited Kevine’s pop-up shop at The Village Market in Nairobi’s Gigiri district, where Kiki bought a couple pairs of UZURI K&Y sandals directly from the company’s CEO. A very cool and unexpected turn of events along Kenya’s tourist trail.
Note: “Dispatches” are short vignettes, profiles, and mini-essays written and posted from the road, often in tandem with my Instagram account. I don’t host a “comments” section, but I’m happy to hear your thoughts via my Contact page.
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