Traveling was engrained in Mina Popat from a young age. Her father loved to travel and soon enough, she and her two sisters picked the travel bug. They enjoyed the relaxing nature of the Kenyan coast, explored the slopes of the Mount Kenya region and even sojourned the Samburu plains. Each trip wasn’t just an experience to rave about, but gave Mina and her sisters a chance to learn – after all, there is an African proverb that says ‘Traveling is Learning’. Mina was especially fascinated by the jewellery specific to different communities. In this way she became interested in Kenyan artefacts and she attempted crafting some ornaments of her own.
In 1979 she pursued a diploma in accounting at the East African College but when she was done, she wasn’t quite sure if she wanted to give in to the world of numbers full-time. Mina’s career path meandered, leading her into different fields of work. She did everything from running a medical diagnostic centre to starting a catering company and lots of other work in between. It wasn’t all in vain. She became a brilliant entrepreneur, always on the hunt for the next venture. But at the heart of all this pursuits was the same fascination and love for jewellery and she was drawn towards supporting local brands. One brand she was drawn to belonged to a friend of hers – Gemini Desai. Gemini had established a jewellery business in the early 90’s where handmade African beads were used to make products. The beads were sourced from Kenyan communities and created from materials such as glass, horn, clay, stone, bone and wood. Because Gemini’s work was rooted in the showcasing the diversity of Kenya, Mina was reminded of her childhood adventures with her family.
In 2017, Gemini relocated to the UK but was adamant to close her company. She had invested in a business and wasn’t quite ready to close it so she decided to sell it to someone who would continue with the same zeal. As soon as Mina heard, she knew that this was yet another opportunity worth exploring. With the help of her sisters, in August she purchased the business from Gemini and rebranded it to Lakira Jewellery. Lakira is a Maa word meaning star. Despite the name change, she promised to continue with the brand ethos Gemini had began.
Next came setting up shop. She found the perfect spot along General Mathenge Road and after a few renovations and innovative ideas put in the business model, Lakira opened its doors. What followed was establishing an online presence: finding new clients on the spaces they were active in. Knowing the value of the beads used in making Lakira Jewellery, Mina felt that it was important for her clients to learn about the history of these African beads as well.
Each bead that is made goes through a process of being shaped, dried, smoothened and lacquered. This can take several months to complete and only produces a handful of beads per time. For Mina, it was important for every design to highlight a specific bead and tell its origin story. Clients visiting Lakira Jewellery were taken around and informed of the different beads and where they were sourced from. Among the beads were Turkana beads that were used as a barter good in the past to ambassador beads that were presented as gifts to African chiefs by European traders, the story each bead carries is reminiscent of a past way of life.
While the first quarter of 2020 came with unforeseen changes, Mina’s business was one of the ones that was impacted. A reduction in foot traffic and the ban on all international flights impacted her sales. Tough choices had to be made. Mina let go of her beautifully renovated store and relocated Lakira to the Craft Centre in Gigiri where she continues to weather the storm.
Still.
We celebrate Mina Popat’s role in uplifting Kenyan crafts.
#PaukwaPeople
