Anne Nzilani (pronounced as nzee –lan –eee!) grew up in a world of crafts – coming from a Kenyan community that gave the world the famous kiondo. She has a Big Heart for Social Justice and believes in making a difference in the lives of marginalized producers that have a talent in crafts but lack a market for their products. No wonder she has the knack for energizing producers and getting them to achieve their best, backed by an innate ability to spot winning products with great market potential.

Her entire work experience has been in product development, production and marketing of a range of products that include kiondo’s (hand woven bags), jewellery, wooden and soapstone products.

Her strengths include:

• Interpreting new designs and product development
• Working with producers to develop new products
• Identifying designs with market potential
• Promoting products to customers

Anne Nzilani has great networks and working relationships with producers from Kenya’s dominant craft clusters of Eastern province (famous for kiondos and wood carvings), Nairobi (key source of great natural jewellery) and Tabaka (home to the worlds most famous soapstone)

Anne Nzilani is experienced in the export process having worked with buyers from the Netherlands, Austria, Finland, Australia, Spain, Germany, Italy and the UK. She has worked on design projects with key international designers and design universities including design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands and Cardenal Herrera CEU in Spain .She has also visited and gone on marketing visits in the Netherlands, Paris, Belgium, Italy and Germany.

She is the managing director of Bawa La Tumaini that works to link talented women in the low income areas of Nairobi, Ukambani and Tabaka to market opportunities in Europe and the USA. She also believes that it’s possible to transform the lives of marginalized producers from a life of abject poverty to one of social fulfilment and economic empowerment through Trade…..

Anne Nzilani: Aiming to Amend

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