Margaret Waithera is 65 years old and lives in Ndutumi village in Murang'a county, Kenya. She has been making pottery since she was a child, and it has helped her earn money to raise her children.
Waithera makes cooking pots and other items out of clay. She also makes energy-saving stoves, which use less fuel and produce less smoke, helping people avoid eye and chest problems.
More Kenyans are starting to like traditional foods and cooking methods. Because of this, people have been coming from far away to buy Waithera's pots. One customer recently ordered 350 pots from her, which gave Waithera some extra money for the holidays. But it's not always easy. Sometimes, she goes for weeks without selling anything.
Waithera learned to make pots from older women when she was little. She enjoyed it more and more over the years, and it became her main way to make money. Other girls who learned with her moved on to different things.
Waithera gets her clay from the nearby Maragua sub-county. She buys a whole truckload at a time, which lasts her a while. Waithera is the only potter in her area. She says traditional pottery is hard work, which is why not many people do it.
Waithera wants more Kenyans to use clay pots in their kitchens. She says they are a healthier way to cook and serve food. Pots can be used to make all kinds of meals. They make meat softer and tastier because it cooks slower.
Many people today don't know the benefits of clay pots. They like to cook with metal pots instead. Younger people may have never seen clay pots used at home. They might just use them for decoration.
Waithera says the government should support traditional crafts like pottery. This would help preserve them for future generations. Her biggest challenge is finding enough firewood to dry the pots. She also wishes her pots would sell faster.
Waithera makes cooking pots and other items out of clay. She also makes energy-saving stoves, which use less fuel and produce less smoke, helping people avoid eye and chest problems.
More Kenyans are starting to like traditional foods and cooking methods. Because of this, people have been coming from far away to buy Waithera's pots. One customer recently ordered 350 pots from her, which gave Waithera some extra money for the holidays. But it's not always easy. Sometimes, she goes for weeks without selling anything.
Waithera learned to make pots from older women when she was little. She enjoyed it more and more over the years, and it became her main way to make money. Other girls who learned with her moved on to different things.
Waithera gets her clay from the nearby Maragua sub-county. She buys a whole truckload at a time, which lasts her a while. Waithera is the only potter in her area. She says traditional pottery is hard work, which is why not many people do it.
Waithera wants more Kenyans to use clay pots in their kitchens. She says they are a healthier way to cook and serve food. Pots can be used to make all kinds of meals. They make meat softer and tastier because it cooks slower.
Many people today don't know the benefits of clay pots. They like to cook with metal pots instead. Younger people may have never seen clay pots used at home. They might just use them for decoration.
Waithera says the government should support traditional crafts like pottery. This would help preserve them for future generations. Her biggest challenge is finding enough firewood to dry the pots. She also wishes her pots would sell faster.
