At the foot of the Ngong Hills, in 1975, Lady Susan Wood set up a fledgling business making beads in her back garden and thus Kazuri Beads was born. What started as a beads factory has now turned into a help center for the disadvantaged women especially single mothers who have no other source of income. Kazuri, the Swahili word for 'small and beautiful' today produces a myriad of colorful hand-painted ceramic jewelry which reflect the culture of Kenya and are sold worldwide. The beads are made with the clay dug by hand from the rich slopes of Mount Kenya and the factory where the women gather is not only a social place full of laughter and smiles but also offers free medical care and access to educational programs.