I've just got back from an amazing adventure in Kenya hosted by our Norwegian friends at their camp, Basecamp Kenya. You can find the details here - www.basecampkenya.com. One of the many reasons this company is so special, is that they built a camp in a conservancy created in conjunction with the Maasai, land that is leased from the Maasai, and they have named the conservancy 'Naboisho', meaning 'coming together' in Maa.
For the past few months I have been working with the supremely talented Amanda from Wellgreen Lewes - www.wellgreenlewes.com, on a range of natural, therapeutic balms to be stocked at FLINT, which have been inspired by the places I love to visit around the world. Our aim is to bottle the scent of a place, an evocation of a place in a jar....
Kenya being one of my favourite destinations, we had to include it on our list. I took along a bag load of samples on this trip, seeking approval from our Maasai friends Moses and Manfred....
The Kenya balm, yet to be named (it's still early days!), contains Leleshwa which Amanda painstakingly distilled in her workshop. Leleshwa is one of the many important plants to the Maasai which they use as a perfume. This strong,clean smelling plant reminds me of Tea Tree but it's much sweeter, more herby than that. We have combined it with vanilla and coffee among other things, to try and capture the smell out in the savannah.
Heidi Francis
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