SISTERS OF CRAFT started with a work scholar ship from the Swedish Cultural Foundation in Finland with a project trip to Tanzania to compare textile craft manship among Finnish and African women. But thanks to the people we have met and the opportunities that have arisen along the way, we realized that the project could be so much wider by including several cultures and women craft cooperatives. And we're still on that journey, letting our interest for woman craftmanship lead the project in the direction it's evolving. And by doing so the work becomes even more meaningful and exciting than we ever imagined.
Let's begin with Tanzania where it all started...
In the historical town 'Stown Town' in Zanzibar, Khamis Rashid and his Finnish wife Aino Tanhua run COLORS OF ZANZIBAR, a small and personal tourism company offering customized tours and holidays in Zanzibar and surroundings. They are working for sustainable and ecological tourism (low impact on the environment, high income to the locals). By offering ecological accommodation, cultural visits to villages, working with local guides, companies and organizations supporting sustainable tourism they want to make sure local communities get a fair share of the tourism business.
To help improve the Zanzibari womens' situation, Colors of Zanzibar started ZEDIO (Zanzibar Educational Improvement Organisation) and are now running a pilot project about women craftmanship in a small fishing village in northern Zanzibar. The aim of the project is to help a group of young women develop their craft products and skills in business and English. Working together with Farouque Abdela, one of the most well-known fashion designers in East Africa, the aim is to develop unique ukili-products as an alternative to the traditional woven baskets and interior products. And that's how we came in contact with the Sisters of Matemwe.
We had a two day inspiring workshop with the women, learning about their craft culture and ways of living as well as the basic skills of ukili-weaving. Weaving is a natural part of their daily lives and the skills are passed down from mother to daughter. Through their craft they get a small but significant income. The women, all in their 20's were muslim, and fasting at the time since it was Ramadan. This meant for example no food or drinks between sunrise and sunset, which was a challenge in it self in 30+ degrees. They were curious about us and our countries having many questions, like how come I was not married by the age of 36! By showing them images of Finnish craft, they got a glimpse into an other world, so completely different. Very proud they showed us their village and introduced us to their families. More than ever we wished we'd studied some swahili before we arrived. When we asked to take their portraits, they shyly posed in front of the camera and giggled when they saw themselves on the camera screen. In return we sent them a photo album showcasing their work and products, to use when marketing their craft.
The meeting with the women left a big impression, making us realize the challenges these women meet. But at the same time their dedication to the work and willingness to learn, gave us hope and inspiration to take our project further. The women are now learning English and business skills thanks to a group of Finnish volunteers. ZEDIO is open for volunteers within handicraft, design, and product marketing to participate in the project. More information about Colors of Zanzibar and Zedio can be found at http://www.colorsofzanzibar.com/.
Since a few months we're based in Darwin, northern Australia, where Dieter has been living on and of for the last 9 years, working as a nurse in the operating theatre along with pursuing his passion for photography. It's here that we've come in contact with Aboriginal and Balinese women craft cooperatives which we are working with right now. Currently we're in Melbourne participating in the Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival - mainly showcasing aboriginal art and culture. But more about that to come...
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