Before the sisal

Originally, the Taita baskets were not made from sisal. They were made from fibres of other indigenous plants and trees. For example from a traditional plant called Ngonge, or even from the bark of the more famous Baobab tree.

Other materials like the bark of the Mrungua tree, required biting the fibre until it was soft. You can imagine the extra work such process entailed. Maybe you wouldn’t enjoy your new basket so much either if you knew it was all chewed by someone!

Taita baskets originate from women who were weaving in their own free time for leisure and used the baskets in their homes to keep cereals and legumes. Basket weaving has been passed from generation to generation, where the youngest picked up the art of weaving from their mothers, grandmothers and mothers in-law.

 

Sisal (Agave sisalensis) 

Sisal is a hardy, drought-resistant succulent that grows well in the arid regions of Kenya.

The first industrial sisal producing farm was established in Kenya in 1907. Gradually sisal became more known in Kenya and revealed itself as a great material for the art of basketweaving.

Sisal quickly took over the scene and baskets of Mrungua and Ngonge became a thing of the past. The popularity of sisal was due to it being drought-resistant, easily grown on the farms, and not requiring any irrigation or pesticides. In addition, compared to the local options, sisal fibres were easier to prepare, and longer and stronger.

It takes a four to five years for a sisal plant to grow to a harvesting age, and you can harvest the leaves once or twice a year for an average of ten years, before the plant flowers, and dies. The flowers grows 3-4 meters from the centre of the plant, and is strong and light. The flower stems are used as lightweight poles for building thatch roofs all over Kenya.

After cutting the outer sisal leaves manually, the plant is simply left alone to grow again till the next harvesting season. 

The cut leaves are industrially 'skinned' and washed as soon as possible to keep only long clean fibres. This process needs to be completed within 24 hours after harvesting, or some patches of sisal will turn brown.

After cleaning the fibre is immediately laid out on drying racks in the sun. It is important for the quality that the sisal now dries as quickly as possible.  After dryeing, brushing and quality selection, the sisal gets baled and sold.

The Hadithi team buys the bales of sisal fibre from the nearby sisal estate, and transports them to Hadithi HQ. The fibre gets split into half kg bundles of two quality varieties, and thereon distributed to the various women groups that use this sisal to weave practical baskets.

The lower grade sisal can be used for the basket’s upward strands (hidden on the inside of the piece), the higher grade will make the visible twine of a practical basket.

The Sisal Fibre

While a handful of weavers cultivate their sisal, most prefer the sisal provided by Hadithi Crafts. This preference stems from sisal's slow growth and its unfortunate tendency to attract elephants, which can pose a threat to their maize harvests during the harvest season in the Kasigau region.

Therefore, the Hadithi team procures 250kg bales of sisal fiber from a nearby estate, transporting them to Hadithi HQ. Here, the fiber is divided into half-kg bundles, further sorted into two quality grades, and then distributed to the women's groups for weaving. The lower grade is used for the basket's internal structure, while the higher grade forms the visible twine of the finished product.

This sustainable practice not only empowers local communities but also preserves the rich tradition of basket weaving, ensuring its vibrant continuation for generations to come.

 

 

 Next story >

< All stories

< Shop collections >