Romania is set to establish a cultural center in Bucharest, Romania, that will open opportunities for Kenyans to showcase their products.
The center, one of its kind in Europe, will enable Kenyans to sell their cultural wares and items to the entire European Union (EU) market.
Romanian Ambassador to Kenya, Gentiana Serbu, facilitated the signing of the agreement at the Romanian Embassy.
“The establishment of the centre is an important aspect which will also open up doors to the European Union, which we are a part of,” said Serbu.
She says Kenya will also have opportunities to meet other embassies and people for cultural exchange.
Serbu noted that the close partnership between the two countries will also explore other areas of mutual interest in agriculture and education.
The agreement brings together Romania’s Contemporary Cultural Identity Association and MaMa Doing Good, which implements initiatives of First Lady Rachel Ruto, particularly in women and youth empowerment.
“We are grateful that you considered us as MaMa Doing Good. This is key to us, and it is something of importance,” said Koskei.
She emphasized that the First Lady is very passionate about empowering women and children, especially the vulnerable and marginalized.
“The child in the village who lacks the basics—by making their lives better, and not just by giving them food but by establishing livelihoods and providing a source of income.
“So, when you hear the government talking of bottom-up, we have experienced the transformation that comes through the bottom-up approach in the economic sense of our country, through the women,” she said.
Koskei thanked the ambassador for speeding up the partnership since the idea was conceptualized.
“We are open to ideas, and we do not compete with government. We only complement, and that is why we have officials from government here to work with us—because we try our best to connect,” she said.
Areas of innovation, technology, and the creative industry will also be explored.
The parties wish to develop a long-term relationship and establish a framework of cooperation between MaMa Doing Good and AICC.
They will promote intercultural exchange between the two countries and empower Kenyan artisans through fair trade and visibility of their crafts.
They will establish and manage a Kenyan Cultural Centre in Bucharest, Romania.
MaMa Doing Good will curate, collect, and send cultural items such as Carakana embroidery pieces and wood carvings sourced directly from local Kenyan artisans.
It will ensure ethical sourcing and fair compensation for all artisans involved, while providing background information and storytelling content for each item (where necessary) to support cultural education and transparency.
The AICC will host and manage the Kenyan Cultural Centre in Bucharest, acting as the cultural hub for Kenyan arts, crafts, and storytelling.