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'Beats of Beads' is a non-for-profit trust, fully registered in Kenya, that is empowering Maasai women who live near the gate of Maasai-Mara National Reserve, Kenya.
Founders:
Agnes Siteiyia Kiu
Agnes Siteyia Kiu - a Maasai woman who managed to break out of poverty with hard work and dedication. She graduated teachers' college, and while teaching in a primary school completed a master's degree in education management (Moi University, Eldoret).
Agnes was one of the initiators of a girls' secondary school in Masai-Mara, opened in 2015. Currently she works as an educator. She is a member of the local Rotary global action.
Agnes strongly believes in gender equality, and sees education as THE way to break female poverty cycle. For Agnes building “The Beats of Beads Art Center” in Maasai Mara is a dream come true combing education, art economic independence and women empowerment. All her work in the project is done voluntarily.
Eti Dayan
Eti Dayan – A native Israeli, holds a Master degree in African studies from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Eti is a professional tour guide to Africa and since 2001 lives with the Maasai people. Eti is the author of 'One of Them,' a book covering Maasai culture and traditions.
In 2011 she founded 'Nanetya Foundation' collecting and publishing folk stories of small ethnic groups in mother tongues. The collection in its entirety is free online as her humble contribution to preserving local myths and stories in their original languages.
Eti is fully dedicated to 'Beats of Beads Art Centre' and sees it as an additional project in the long path of preserving local arts and cultures at the same time empowering local women.
All her work in the project is done voluntarily.
Advisory Board:
Ofir Drori
Ofir Drori is the founder of LAGA – the Last Great Ape Organisation, an enforcement non-governmental organization that fights corruption in order to bring about to the arrests and prosecutions of major wildlife criminals dealing in endangered animal species. LAGA is award-winning model for a wildlife law enforcement NGO.
Based on the experience of fighting corruption in the judiciary and the forces of law and order, he has co-founder of The EAGLE Network which focuses on establishing Anti-Corruption law enforcement and involving citizens in the fight against corruption through direct legal action.
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Prof' Galia Sabar
Galia Sabar is a Professor of African Studies at Tel Aviv University and the Chair of African Studies at the Depart of Middle Eastern and African History at Tel Aviv University.
She was the President of Ruppin Academic Center, one of Israel leading public colleges.
In addition to her academic research, Sabar has been a leading social activist in Israel mainly in relation to Ethiopian immigrants as well as in partnership with various NGOs assisting African labor migrants and asylum seekers.
Benny Levin
Benny Levin holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Technion-Israel’s Institute of Technology.
He is vice Chairman of the "Capital Opportunity for Israel" Foundation (IVN), he serves as active chairman of the Ben-Yakir Youth Village and Kedma Youth Village and the founder of JDOCU.
Benny founded NICE Systems, a global leader in digital recording and multimedia solutions, and served as its president and CEO from its inception, and as chairman and CEO from 1998-2001.