2001-2012
It all started when our Co-Founder & CEO, Zane Wilemon, went to live with a nearby community of Maasai for a week. This was the age before cell phones so when our other Co-Founder, Jeremiah Kuria, dropped Zane off approximately 50 miles from a tarmac road equipped with only two jerry cans of clean drinking water the adventure began. That week was both eye opening for Zane, but also the beginning of community building with the Maasai that continues to this day. These friendships formed larger community ties that led to numerous development projects such as constructing local schools, churches and hosting annual medical clinics. Once Ubuntu started making products it was a natural extension of the already decade long established relationship to discuss incorporating Maasai beaded products into the product line up.