Nasimiyu Designs

Nasimiyu was born into weaving at the young age of 7 years old. Weaving, Beading, and Pottery was the only part of my womanhood growing up in Bungoma, a village in the western part of Kenya. Enjoy traditional tribal Bantu baskets of color texture design, functional in all seasons.

Sturdy and practical, the basket can be used as you desire both indoors and outside. The baskets are handwoven from straw and reed which grow in the wild and goes through six stages before the basket is born. The straw/reed is first plucked, then dried, split, twisted, and dyed using natural dyes, and finally woven. This process takes 6-10 hours depending on design, pattern, and shape.

Nasimiyu was born to a Ugandan mother and raised in the Bungoma district of Kenya. Growing up in a family of 40 children gave her a deep commitment to the tribes and peoples not just of Kenya but of Africa as a whole. She learned to weave baskets as a child and has adapted her knowledge to the grasses and natural materials of Northern California.

In 2003 Nasimiyu founded Born to Aid, a 501 (c). (3) non-profit foundation which has been granted NGO registration from the government of Kenya. The goal of Born to Aid is to help the disadvantaged children in Bungoma, Tuti Village. A portion of the sales from Nasimiyu Designs are donated to Born to Aid.

Photos by Paige Green