Maria Kenda, owner of Kendacraft Jewellery in Adelaide, has been recognised for her tireless charity work, receiving a Member of the Order of Australia in this year’s Queen’s Birthday honours.
Kenda contributes to a range of charities, juggling her charity work with her full-time jewellery business, where she has had a long and successful career as a jewellery designer, retailer and JAA representative.
Kenda donates her “time, energy and spare money” to over 15 charities, including: the Women’s and Children’s Hospitals, the Rosemary Foundation (funding Alzheimer’s research), the Hutt Street homeless shelter, Novita Children’s services, and the Mary Potter Foundation (supporting people with terminal illnesses).
In an interview with Jeweller, Kenda offered advice to her peers about contributing to charity.
She said jewellers should start by getting their name out into the community.
“If you join different groups within your community it gives you a public face, then people will gravitate toward you because they know you can help,” she said.
While her jewellery business has helped fund her charity work, Kenda said the two should never mix.
“I spend most of my day at work, from 8:30 until 6, so I fit in my charity work after hours,” she said, adding: “They are two separate things. I’ve never imposed it on any of my clients to donate to charity.”
Kenda has been in the jewellery industry since 1979, when she joined her family’s wholesale business.
She now operates as a retailer and manufacturer, with a store in Adelaide’s Hilton Hotel.
She is a designer of one-off jewellery pieces, specialising in south sea pearls, opals and coloured diamonds. Her large customer base includes clients in seven countries worldwide.
She was president of the South Australian arm of the JAA between 1989 and 1994, in which time she helped organise a range of charity events.
She said she had “no idea” who nominated her for the Order of Australia, however she described it as a “great honour”.
Have "Your say": Login and add a comment below