With the goal of defending the rights and welfare of children in special circumstances, Undugu Society of Kenya has addressed the needs of the urban poor since 1973. In the early 1970s, barely ten years after Kenya's independence, no government programmes existed to help the poor. Migration to the city by desperate villagers resulted in overcrowded slums and high unemployment. The sight of homeless boys trying to survive through begging, stealing and directing motorists to parking places became commonplace.

Around this time, Father Arnold Grol, a Missionary Priest from Tanzania, began spending most of his time on the streets, trying to establish a rapport with these boys by organizing sports activities and jazz groups. Through these friendships, he learned that many of these boys were orphaned, abandoned, hungry, and unable to attend school.

This was the beginning of the Undugu Society of Kenya. While it began with basic shelter facilities, it soon grew to include education programs, health care, and counselling for children who would otherwise have to live on the street. Today, Undugu, a Kiswahili word for "solidarity and brotherhood", touches thousands of underprivileged Kenyans through small enterprise development, informal skills training, affordable shelter, job creation and health programs. The organization's handicraft division provides employment for over 450 families making stone carvings and baskets in places such as Kisii, Turkana, Machakos, and Nairobi, the income of which helps to break the cycle of poverty and reduce the number of people flocking to the city. While Father Grol died in 1997, his work and vision carry on, as the Undugu Society continues to empower thousands of Kenyans.

Soapstone

Soapstone is only found in one area of western Kenya in a village known as Tabaka in the Kisii Sub tribe region, and is generally referred to as”Kisii Soapstone". The rock bed extends over a radius of about 32 km underlying a rich agricultural red soil in an area that is densely populated - at about 250 persons per square km.

It was originally used only for decorating the mud walls and floors of the houses, but late in the 19th century small articles began to be carved, for ceremonial events or to depict the surrounding environment and animals. Gradually the craft became commercialized as an alternative means of income to supplement subsistence farming, and the art began to be passed from one generation to the next within the communities. It is now a major source of income within this region, directly supporting more than 15,000 families who reside in Tabaka, and also indirectly supporting many more jobs within the Kenyan economy.

Soapstone Carving

The carving process starts with quarry miners who excavate the stones and cut them into assorted shapes and sizes ready for sale to the carvers. The quarries belong to private families who have inherited the land, and employ miners to excavate the stones which they sell on to the carvers. The Master carvers make the rough shapes of the various items as required by the family workshops according to market demands. The carvers are specialised in particular kinds of products, including animals, sculptures, games, decorations, home accessories etc. There are about 6,000 miners and carvers involved, mainly men due to the physical nature of the work involved.

If the master carver is not part of a family workshop, the unfinished products are usually sold to such a workshop for sanding, colouring or decorating. Sanding is mainly done by women within the family workshops and decoration and colouring by specialised artisans.