Maja Waweru

Maja was born in Denmark and spent the majority of her life in Kenya. She developed a methodology, for use by artisans and governing bodies, to ensure ethical design practices that empower local artisans and manufacturers while preventing cultural exploitation. Her multicultural background was the catalyst for her capstone project, combining the rich craft and entrepreneurial culture in Kenya and the socialist, sustainable mindset of Denmark. Focusing on Kenya’s gemstone industry, her project explores the misuse of the abundant resources through field research and one-to-one interviews across the supply chain. Examining every phase of the production process, from mining to production and retail, an innovative methodology that can mutually benefit various sectors and nations, and may serve as a model for future design initiatives, has been developed.