BEADS DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND MARKET DEVELOPMENT FOR SELECTED WOMEN GROUPS IN MARA

ACTION AFRICA HELP KENYA (AAH Kenya) is a non-governmental organization that addresses development challenges in partnership with marginalized Kenyan communities mainly living in low income urban and rural settings including arid and semi-arid areas (ASALs). AAH Kenya is an affiliate country programme of Action Africa Help International (AAH-I), which has been operating in the East and Southern Africa region for more than 20 years implementing programmes in South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, Somalia and Kenya.

AAH Kenya is currently implementing two projects in Kenya that involve livelihood activities. The main objective of these projects is to ensure that the communities have the opportunity to engage in economic activities and acquire knowledge and skills essential for their development in becoming agents of change in their communities. One of the projects is the Mara economic empowerment project in the Mara region of Narok County.

For the Narok project, the special focus is on Livestock, beads and Micro, Small and Medium enterprises. A baseline study was done to assess the status of beadwork activity done in Mara in the sense of quality, quantity, designs, uniqueness and supply. From the survey, it was noted that the making and sale of beaded products is mostly successful in urban areas. Although Maasai community has done a commendable job in working to preserve its culture, their beaded jewellery and products coming from Mara has little or no place in the urban market currently owing to its low supply, poor quality, and lack of creativity in designs hence hard to meet the need and demand in the market. The Maasai bead market, like crafts is produced hand-made, with products that are culturally rooted, whose distinctive quality is an aesthetic appeal which is judged largely by the eye. Some of them also have functional and useful features like use in wedding functions but only confined to that community and locality.

The presence of middlemen trading on the Maasai products have further heightened the situation causing very minimal returns for the women who are the producers and who spend a lot of time working on the products and sell at low prices. This scenario has caused the livelihoods of rural Maasai women, whose livelihoods solely depend on the sale of their bead products, to be at stake. This trend has raised a need for interventions to a group of women in designs, innovations and linking to a ready market so as to produce quality useful products and reduce middlemen hence maximizing on the profits.

1.0CONSULTANCY

1.1Terms of Reference

AAH-I wishes to involve a designer or design house to create a collective mark of Mara Bead Brand. This will include product development and adaptation on issues like design based on market research findings and prototype making, product costing and pricing (based on market research and production realities), market testing of products, business cycle development (sequencing of processes which become standard operating procedures), product promotion and product launches.

It is not always easy for individual crafts people like bead producers to obtain consumer recognition and customer loyalty. Gaining access to retail stores, local markets and distribution networks and making their work known among consumers requires a significant investment.

It is therefore important for the Producer groups to develop a joint marketing campaign for their products using collective marks which denote the common origin of the product from those individual producers. These can also be used to promote products and help market while providing a framework of cooperation between local producers.

1.2Objectiveof the Assessment

The main objective is to guide the community in designs to deliver creative and innovative ideas in their bead work to meet the client needs in the global markets. Globalization of markets, coupled with the use of internet, has given consumers worldwide unlimited choice. This has increased the challenges faced by producers in successfully producing and marketing their products.

The rapidly changing tastes of consumers, add further constraints for producers and marketers. It is a growing challenge for most businesses to provide newer, better and more attractive products that catch the eye and retain the interest of the consumers. The real challenge is to be more resourceful, creative and innovative than the competitors in all aspects of business, from conceiving new ideas and transforming them into products, to marketing them in an efficient manner and earning a reasonable profit on the investment made.

The specific objectives are:

Under the overall supervision of AAH Kenya Project Support Officer, and Project Officer, the contracted designer will undertake the following tasks:

1. Taking the community through Producing innovative, quality products meeting the current and rapidly changing customer needs


2. Creating and supporting a distinctive Mara Bead Brand. This will include product development and adaptation on issues like design based on market research findings and prototype making, product costing and pricing.


3. Effective marketing to create a demand for a product, this will include getting a strategy which must be based on sound and continuous bead market research so that the needs of the bead consumers are fully understood.


4. Working to set an intellectual property right process to provide a legal framework of ethical conduct to enable orderly using and sharing of knowledge resulting from human ingenuity, creativity and inventiveness through legal controls.


5. Working with the Mara women in all the essential elements and like accessing raw materials, financial capital, good distribution networks, appropriate production networks and technology to give bead products business competitive advantage and higher profits.


6. Market linkage programs to correctly match the needs of the consumers to products on offer. This will involve getting functional products with innovations.

2.0APPROACH

The consultant(s) is expected to adopt consultative approach involving the AAH Kenya team and community members during the design, development and marketing of the bead products shall be agreed upon together with AAH Kenya.

3.0KEY DELIVERABLES

Based on this TOR, the Consultants shall:-

1. A write-up showing a clear framework on how to implement this community beadwork program step by step from training, development, and marketing.


2. Innovative and unique product samples which can act as the sample to other women groups and its target markets


3. Give well organized working and sustainability plan.

4.0TIME FRAME

The assignment is expected to take a maximum of 21 days effective from 6th July 2015, and final submission of the report to AAH Kenya not later than 3^rd August 2015.

5.0Qualification and Experience

• A Secondary Education or Design related discipline.


• At least 3 years of professional experience in drawing designing and marketing bead products which promotes livelihood development


• Previous Business Development experience in beadwork and other art related products.


• Experience in online marketing targeting international markets and with good taste and sense of aesthetics


• Good working relationship with women especially those from a rural set up


• Proven ability to accomplish freelance/consultancy projects on time as confirmed by references.


• Proficiency in oral and written English and Kiswahili is required.

6.0PROPOSAL

The interested candidates are requested to submit:

1. Application letter;


2. Curriculum Vitae;


3. Samples of previous work and their marketing destination


4. Financial proposal showing the cost of involving the consultant per day.

8.0Evaluation and Award of Consultancy

AAH Kenya will evaluate the offers and award the assignment based on technical and financial feasibility. AAH Kenya reserves the right to accept or reject any proposal received without giving reasons and is not bound to accept the lowest or the highest bidder.