The colours of Maasai beadwork

Each colour in Maasai jewellery holds a symbolic meaning for Maasai.
Red - stands for bravery, unity, and blood. Red is the colour of cows blood. Often a cow is slaughtered when the Maasai meet and therefore unity is associated with red. White - represents peace, purity, and health. The association with health comes from white cows milk which the community drinks to stay healthy. Blue - represents energy and the sky. Rain falls from the blue sky which provides water for the cattle. Orange - Symbolizes hospitality. The association with cattle is that visitors are served cows milk from orange gourds. Yellow - like orange yellow also symbolizes hospitality. The animal skins on visitors beds are yellow. Green - symbolizes health and land. Cattle graze on the green grass of the land. Black - represents the people and the struggles they must endure.

Sidai Designs collaborates with Maasai women in Tanzania to create handmade contemporary jewellery and homewares. Their mission is to preserve age-old African beading tradition, work to create sustainable jobs and economic opportunities for Maasai women, and produce unique pieces that blend beading customs with a contemporary aesthetic.

In the third edition of the Wise Wall Project, we are collaborating with the culturally rich and one of the oldest communitys in the world, the Maasai community, in Arusha, Tanzania, in partnership with Vikram Solar Ltd., Vijana Inspiring Foundation, Lions Club of Dar es Salaam and Arusha City, and Google Arts and Culture. Along with building an on-ground community centre and museum for the community, we are bringing an exclusive insight into the life, lifestyle and learnings from this inspiring community.

The Wise Wall Project is an initiative of Project FUEL that aims to document, design and strengthen the wisdom of rural communities and marginalised villages using art and community outreach programmes. The arts lead the way to raise support for the challenges these villages face today like migration, quality education and access to basic amenities like water and roads.