An Artist and Educator Brian Frus

Shanga was fortunate to have the expertise of Brian Frus, an artist and an educator from Maine, USA.

Brian brought with him a wealth of knowledge on glass blowing and various techniques as he started working with glass in 1996 and is extremely passionate about the art form.

Being an educator and having his own workshop, Brian quickly became a part of the Shanga glass blowing team and worked side by side our team to learn our techniques and our products, and then was able to expand on these and teach our team a different way of thinking and looking at glass with fresh eyes and a new perspective.

During his 3 weeks at Shanga the creativity and generosity of skills and time from Brian is a gift the Shanga team will be talking about for a very long time. The new skills the team has learnt are being put into practice every day, and our team has a new energy and zealousness.

WORLD DISABILITY DAY 2023

This year Shanga celebrated the World Disability Day at Sibusiso Arumeru Arusha

on the 1st of December.

This organisation assists children with mental disabilities with education, medical care, physical therapy and nutritional support.

Shanga donated 27 boxes of sanitary pads for the female students with

mental disabilities.

Shanga's deaf choir entertained the crowds at the celebration with 2 songs that they have been rehearsing over the past few weeks, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed the performance and the day celebrating together which focused on the theme of an "Inclusive and Equal World" for all.

Arusha Christmas Fair 24th and 25th November

Shanga attended the local Arusha Christmas Fair this past weekend, and we certainly made a splash show casing our beautiful new products that our talented team have been working on!

We had the perfect location at the fair whereby every guest that entered the fair had an opportunity to view and purchase the perfect Christmas gift and peruse at leisure, while enjoying a quick chat about recreating certain items in their favourite colour!

The feedback from the public was incredibly warm and encouraging and we were thrilled to be back at the Christmas Fair.

Two Former Presidents Visited Shanga

There was buzz in the air of Shanga this July when not one, but two former presidents visited Shanga!

We welcomed the former president of Mozambique, Mr Joaquim Chissano, and the former president of Sierra Leone, H.E Dr Ernest Bai Koroma.

The former presidents were given a tour of Shanga, and they graciously engaged with our staff.

Both former presidents expressed how impressed they were with the work Shanga does with and for the disabled community, and shared their hope that other businesses would follow Shanga's example.

Shanga’s beading expert helps local Maasai ladies with beadwork

Shanga's beading expert Amani recently spent a few days at the Lemoti Maasai Boma teaching the Maasai ladies how to refine their beadwork. This was a collaborative effort between the boma, Shanga and the Land & Life Foundation.

Amani focused the training around making the colourful beaded cuffs for Elewana guest water bottles and the Tarangire Treetops turndown gifts which all guests receive before departing the camp.

The Maasai ladies and the boma leader, Toima, expressed how fortunate and excited they were to have beading training with Amani. In their own words "we are confident now to make quality pieces that will ensure business sustainability, especially all the new beading techniques and quality of the beads".

Maasai women are artisans and in the modern world they have transformed their beading skills into a business. This enables them to have a sustainable income where they can prioritise the needs of their family, as most of the money they make from beading is for food and sending their children to school. In some cases, some can even own cattle by selling the bead work.

Photography training with donated cameras and an old laptop

Developing new skills through training is essential to our business model. We are consistently working toward having all the skills required in-house to make Shanga a success rather than reliant on external specialists. Having proficient and skilled photographers in-house has always been a goal. Late 2020, Shanga was awarded the Best Sustainability Award Winner for the 2019 Minor Sustainability Award. Part of the award was a small financial award, which was put towards photography training.

We found the right person with Roshni Lodhia, to run a four day program with three members of our Shanga team - George, Jackson and Calvin.

 The workshop covered photography principles such as composition, lighting and camera settings as well as post-production editing. We focused on three main photographic subjects: glass products, textiles and faces. 

“I was thrilled when I was asked to design a photography workshop for a team of Shanga staff. As a conservation and documentary photographer based in Arusha, this was my chance to share the skills I'd learned over the years.” - Roshni Lodhia

George, Jackson and Calvin were eager and enthusiastic learners. The mornings were spent in a classroom setting and the afternoons taking images around the Shanga workshop. There was learning, discovery, discussions and a lot of laughter. 

“Empowering Shanga staff to learn an additional skill like photography is fantastic for both their personal growth and for Shanga to have an internal photographer!” - Roshni Lodhia

George, Jackson and Calvin were equally enthusiastic about the workshop, noting that “Roshni listened to our ideas and her compassion for teaching made us better students.” In addition, all were really impressed that Roshni “constantly showed different techniques to produce better photos.”

A huge thanks from all of us to Roshni for sharing her skills and knowledge. We look forward to seeing the images George, Jackson and Calvin produce.  We are proud of their newfound skills, as well as the passion and commitment they have brought to expanding their skill sets and roles at Shanga.

Imagine what our team could do with up to date technology and equipment. Maybe we have the next “Jimmy Nelson“ in the making.

Reflections on 2020

What a year with highs, lows, and everything in between!

This year has presented challenges for everyone. It would have been easy to focus on the difficulties but at Shanga we chose a different route. With your support and generosity we explored and implemented diversification activities and increased our exposure around the world. This approach has supported our team during these unpresented times.

What has this looked like:-

• SUPPORT from the local community by taking part in our “Empty the Glass Containers” campaign.

• GROWING international customers.

• ESTABLISHING new Shanga stockists.

• DONATIONS from individuals, community organizations and businesses including: Dwelling (www.dwellingjh.com) (USA), Sunnybrook Community Church (USA) and the Elewana Collection Pamoja Fund.

This year’s highlights:

• Invited to join the UN Facilities, Arusha to celebrate international Women’s Day 2020.

• Mount Kilimanjaro was climbed by Masoud, one of our amazing team members. Seeing him achieve a life-long dream was very special.

• Played and started to build our internal Glass Garden.

• Awarded the Minor Groups 2019 Best Sustainability Award. 

• Celebrated International Day for People with Disabilities.

• Trained all the Shanga team in health and nutrition for them and their families.

From all the team at Shanga we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for standing with and encouraging us. This assisted in giving us strength and keeping us motivated. As we bid farewell to 2020, we look forward to sharing our ongoing  journey with you. Wishing you and your families a happy, safe and peaceful holiday season.

Masoud climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in September 2020

“Accessible Together” was one of the taglines for this adventure, it also “brought together” people from around the globe.

As a school student Masoud’s desire to scale Mount Kilimanjaro was ignited. He was reluctant to voice this dream with others as he felt they would think him crazy given his physical stature. The sharing of this dream with his “newly adopted family” at Shanga where he works, began in 2019 after he had been there for a few years. He knew his Shanga Family would embrace his dream, not ridicule it. Here is how it all came together.

In February 2020, James Lassner, Executive Director of FAISR, who organized the largest delegation of disabled climbers to reach the top of Kilimanjaro, visited Shanga. This visit was suggested to Jamie by Stephanie Diamond, who had visited the workshop during a trip to Tanzania in November 2019, as Shanga aligned so perfectly with FAISR’s mission. During this visit Jamie met Masoud and made him a promise after he shared that he had lived at the foot of Kilimanjaro all his life but never had the opportunity to climb it. Now, because of FAISR, Popote Africa Adventures, Shanga and Sami Diamond (Stephanie’s daughter), he was the first little person to reach the Roof of Africa at 5,885 metres and fulfil a life’s dream. What neither Jamie nor Stefanie anticipated, was how much that one visit would change someone else’s life.

Ruth Willatt, Business Development Consultant, Shanga, explained the continuation of the domino effect. "Throughout life connections, comments and promises are made but at times they are not made by people with as much integrity as Jamie Lassner. I met Jamie in 2020 when he visited Shanga, our meeting led to a promise to support Masoud achieve his life long dream to scale Mount Kilimanjaro. Through Jamie's tenacity and connections, Masoud's epic journey is happening. Over the last few months Masoud, with support of his friends, family and Shanga, has trained daily, and spoken often about the upcoming adventure but on the day of his departure his excitement was so overwhelming it left him speechless. This never happens. Supported by Sabino Kweka and his team from Popote Africa Adventures, Masoud commenced climbing the mountain on Sunday, 6th September 2020.” Ruth continued: “A special thanks goes to Sami, who has not yet had the opportunity to travel to Tanzania, but has a caring heart and made it her mission to see that our Masoud, whom she has never met, reaches his goal and fulfilled his dream.”

Due to the pandemic and curtailed international travel, FAISR conducted a virtual 19,341 ft climb, roll, walk, or run to raise funds and awareness on how to make the world accessible together. In Tanzania, Masoud completed the virtual event with the comradery of his friends from Shanga and to commence training without yet having a set date for the climb. Sami, an 11 year old from New Jersey, USA participated by biking and walking her 19,341 ft and simultaneously decided as part of her Bat Mitzvah (coming of age) celebration, she would make bracelets to raise funds to sponsor Masoud to climb Kilimanjaro. Sami’s success assisted Masoud, a man she’s never met and who lives 7,500 miles away, to etch his name into history and become the first little person to scale Mount Kilimanjaro. 
Sami said: “Although I’m not able to be with Masoud physically, I thought about him all week long. My heart was on Kilimanjaro helping him climb to the top, and that felt really great.” Sami continued with sharing a learnt life lesson: “Masoud taught me the importance of having a dream and facing your fears head on. This showed me the power of focusing on the fact that almost anything is possible. Masoud clearly showed me that #EverybodyCanBeASuperstar.”

“Sami is a bundle of positive energy and blessed with wisdom beyond her years. In her words and deeds, she taught us much about assisting to make the world a better place. We are humbled that Sami has made Masoud’s dream come true, allowing him to climb the tallest peak in Africa and return safely.” Lassner continued: “We have much to learn from our youth and Sami is a natural lively leader”.

Sabino Kweka, General Director of Popote Africa Adventures in Tanzania, who organized the February FAISR trip, arranged for Masoud to join a small team of German trekkers, Dr Chris & Dr. Ulricht, who commenced their trek on Kilimanjaro’s Lemosho Route on Sunday 6th September. Thank you to both of them for including Masoud in their trekking adventure.

 Sabino added: “After we completed the record breaking Kili climb in February 2020, we went to the remarkable and creative Shanga. Ruth and Jamie met while the rest of the trekkers shopped. From that meeting came our joint cooperation to make Masoud’s dream come true." He excitedly added: "We look forward to celebrating this personal milestone with Masoud and Masoud’s global accomplishment of being the first little person to reach the peak of our Mount Kilimanjaro. Accessible travel is important especially when we have the tallest free standing mountain in Africa that is reachable by all who wish to trek it.”

Omari Paramaba, Masoud’s guide from Poptote, texted Lassner as they entered the Londorossi Gate: “I am very excited to climb with Masoud. My goal is to get to the top together, and I know we can do it. We will make it a September to Remember.” Omari, Shani (the other guide specifically for Masoud) and Masoud, made a strong and firming connection quickly, “we are now brothers for life”. Omari and Shani are known for giving trekkers nicknames, Masoud’s in now “Mfalme Mamba - King Crocodile” due to his strong and muscled legs and inner strength. We can happily report Masoub is extremely proud of his new title.

Masoud, fellow trekkers and the team arrived back on Sunday, September 13 about 9.30am exiting the Kilimanjaro National Park at the Mweka Gate. Though totally exhausted Masoud, not only found additional energy to share and celebrate his achievement with his friends and colleagues from Shanga, he then sparked up to do an interview with a team from AYO TV.

Masoud, Mfalme Mamba, Shanga’s Hero. Masoud’s message to everyone involved is “Asantini sana sana sana,” (Thank you many times over).

If you would like further information about the trek here contact details:

FAISR:   James Lassner  347-987-8700   jamie@faisr.org  FAISR.org

Sami:      Stefanie Diamond   StefDiamond@gmail.com

Shanga:  Ruth Willatt   developement@shanga.org   shanga.org

Popote Africa:    Sabino  Kweka   sabi@popoteafrica.com   popoteafrica.com

AYO TV’s Interview and video   https://youtu.be/ub9yEmEkev0

What has your quiet time looked like?

I smile and laugh when asked this question. Currently, the days at Shanga look different with no two the same but they are all full, busy and productive. This is reflected in the versatility of our team and their willingness to adapt and try new things. Hamisi and Rajabu, two of our glass blowers are now training in metal work and welding. Basley, our master glass bead maker, and Hawa, one of our weavers, are learning jewelry making and beading techniques. Emmaculate, who is an amazing beader, is learning how to do Tinga Tinga paintings. These are just a few examples of the team’s adaptability and we are so impressed with their new skills.

This versatility was so clearly demonstrated when we received an order for a beaded chandelier from the Grumeti Fund. Our production schedule was tight, so on any one day we had up to 25 people working on it. To the team's credit, we delivered a few days ahead of schedule. The Grumeti Fund shared this image of the chandelier hanging in its new home. Measuring 810cm by 860cm, the image does not do the chandelier justice in showing its true size. 

We also supplied several other decorative pieces, including vases, glass lamp shades and light fittings. You can see more information on the Grumeti Fund’s amazing project here:

https://www.grumetifund.org/blog/updates/eco-friendly-furniture-at-rise/. A big thanks to the Grumeti Fund team for including Shanga in their work.

Exciting, Shanga was featured in an international publication! The Bloomberg Businessweek published an article featuring bespoke dining ware and a number of Shanga pieces were highlighted. To be included in an article by Mark Ellwood alongside the likes of The Invisible Collection, George Jensen, Inkorporate, and Eamonn O’Sullivan just to name a few, was an incredible moment for the team. 

You can read the article here: 

Bespoke Place Settings for the Ultimate Exclusive Dinner Party 

Until next time, please stay safe and healthy and don’t forget to check our Facebook and Instagram for more regular news.

https://www.facebook.com/ShangaTanzania    https://www.instagram.com/shanga_tanzania/

Will you love everything about this news? We do.

Artisan Products Handmade in Tanzania with Love

Just as the world’s circumstances were changing Shanga was contacted by Radhika Chavda, with an idea of setting up a UK based online shop for Artisan products made in Tanzania. It is with great excitement Radhika’s hard work has all come to fruition with the launching of https://www.thehandmademarket.co.uk/

A few words from Radhika:

“I first visited Tanzania back in 2007. What struck me most, above all else, was how happy everyone was; the smile on people's faces was just so wonderful to see. Whether they were working in an air-conditioned supermarket or selling fruit by the roadside, their joy was in evidence.

I had the most amazing trip. I sunbathed in Zanzibar, ate the most delicious local food in Dar es Salaam and saw incredible wildlife in the Serengeti. To complete this wonderful experience I met the man I was to marry.

A year later, it was time for a change. I left England for Tanzania, got married and life has been amazing ever since. 

Now based back in England, Tanzania will always hold fond memories for me. The people, places and landscape can't be forgotten. I seize every opportunity to visit and someday hope to retire there. The wonderful people of Tanzania made such an impact, I wanted to do more, and my new business is a way to offer continuing support.

Tanzania has the most incredibly skilled crafts people who use local sourced materials to create truly unique products, which most importantly are made with love.

After a visit to Tanzania you never truly leave. There's something about the country that holds your heart forever. My mission is to bring these beautiful products to wherever you are in the world.”

Shanga would like to thank Radhika for including us in her new venture. To all our UK based friends please support Radhika, support us, Mwani and AfriCraft.
 

Website: www.thehandmademarket.co.uk    Email: radhikachavda@icloud.com

Shanga by Elewana Collection shortlisted for 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Award

Shanga by Elewana Collection has been selected as one of 3 finalists for the ‘Investing in People’ Tourism for Tomorrow Awards from the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Shanga is a social enterprise based in Arusha Tanzania that trains and employs people with disabilities to produce high quality handmade craft items - glass blowing, beading and other activities, the interactive workshop is located on the grounds of Elewana Arusha Coffee lodge.

The World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) announced the 15 finalists for its 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards on the 15th January 2019. The finalists are organised into the following new categories: Climate Action, Investing in People, Destination Stewardship, Social Impact and Changemakers.

The WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, now in their fifteenth year, showcase business practices of the highest standards that balance the needs of ‘people, planet and profits’ within the Travel & Tourism sector.

All 15 finalists illustrate a strong commitment to supporting change, transformation in business practices and consumer behaviour towards a more environmentally conscious sector.

Following a rigorous three-phase judging process, which includes an onsite evaluation, winners of the 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards will be announced during the awards ceremony at the 19th WTTC Global Summit in Seville, Spain from 2 – 4 April 2019.

Gloria Guevara, President & CEO of WTTC, said, “This year’s Tourism for Tomorrow Awards shine the spotlight on those organisations which are leading the way in sustainable Travel & Tourism. They reflect WTTC’s Strategic Priorities of Climate Action, Destination Stewardship, Future of Work, and Social Responsibility. As pioneers in the world of Travel & Tourism I applaud all these finalists on their business philosophies and encourage the wider sector to look to them as leading examples for the future of sustainable travel.”

Awards Lead Judge, Prof. Graham Miller, Executive Dean and Professor of Sustainability in Business, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Surrey said, “The shortlisted projects and businesses demonstrate community development, sustainable employment practices, female empowerment, innovative environmental technology and protection of land and marine wildlife as well as positively contributing to the broader Sustainable Development Goals. Their efforts in these areas are a beacon to the rest of the travel sector in signalling the way to a more sustainable world.”

The finalists of the 2019 WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards, which is headline sponsored by AIG Travel for the fourth year are:

Investing in People Award, for organisations demonstrating leadership in becoming an exciting, attractive, and equitable employer in the sector:

·         Shanga by Elewana Collection, Tanzania

·         Lemon Tree Hotels Limited, India

·         Reserva do Ibitipoca, Brazil

Climate Action Award, for organisations undertaking significant and measurable work to reduce the scale and impact of climate change:

·         Bucuti & Tara Beach Resort, Aruba

·         The Brando, Tetiaroa Private Island, Tahiti

·         Tourism Holdings Limited, New Zealand

Destination Stewardship Award, for organisations helping a place to thrive and bring forward its unique identity for the benefit of its residents and tourists:

·         Grupo Rio da Prata, Brazil

·         Masungi Georeserve, Philippines

·         St. Kitts Sustainable Destination Council, St. Kitts and Nevis

Social Impact Award, for organisations working to improve the people and places where they operate:

·         Awamaki, Peru

·         Intrepid Group, Australia

·         Nikoi Island, Indonesia

Changemakers Award, this year focused on organisations fighting the illegal wildlife trade through sustainable tourism:

·         Kelompok Peduli Lingkungan Belitung (KPLB), Indonesia

·         SEE Turtles, USA

·         The Cardamom Tented Camp, Cambodia 

The winner of each category will be determined by the WTTC Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2019 Winners’ Selection Committee, chaired by Fiona Jeffery OBE, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards Chair and Founder & Chairman, Just a Drop.

Fiona Jeffery OBE said, “The role of the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards is to inspire and educate. They identify responsible leadership in our industry and outstanding role models from which best practices can be learnt and built. Our role is to spread this knowledge and encourage a broader appreciation of environmental and ethical governance which helps drive a growing commitment to sustainable tourism practices, so they become part of the DNA of our industry and not the exception.”

To find out more about the finalists, go to the 2019 Tourism for Tomorrow Finalists page.

Diamond In The Rough

Evans is a storyteller and driving force behind “My Africa”. He approached Shanga to consider being included on his social media platform. He found out about Shanga while researching places of interest based in Arusha that fit the brief for his short documentaries. My Africa's platform is to highlight positive and inspiring stories behind organisations across Africa.

We can all agree Shanga is such a place.

The resulting video highlights Shanga’s history, our focus on ability over disability, some members of the Shanga family and their achievements. The beautiful presentation demonstrates Evans artistic talents while illustrating the Shanga Story including part of our mission which is to spread kindness to everyone.

Our sincere thanks to him and his team for thinking of us and including us in his series.

Introducing Our Newest Member Of Staff!

We are very excited to announce the newest member of our staff, Amber Derocher. Amber’s position is Design and Sales Manager. She is creative, hardworking, enthusiastic, an excellent team player, and very social; perfect qualities for this position!  Her role is to review and update the current Shanga shop, workshop, and product designs, and to generally oversee Shanga sales. 

Mini Bio:

Amber was born in the United States, where she lived for three years prior to moving abroad. Her growing up years were spent in France, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lesotho, and Kenya. Growing up was quite an adventure for her!

She attended and graduated high school in Nairobi, Kenya, and later joined Hope College in Michigan, USA. After receiving her Bachelor’s Degree, she then returned to Kenya where she taught at Rosslyn Academy. The following years were spent volunteering and working in various capacities in the United States, Thailand, and Tanzania. Throughout her travels, she spent time appreciating and participating in various forms of creative expression around the world.

During a previous visit to Arusha, Amber heard about Shanga through Sarah Rejman, the director and founder of The Plaster House. One day, Sarah told her “I think you have just the right kind of magic for Shanga”. Prior to her conversation with Sarah, Amber knew nothing about Shanga, and therefore immediately planned a visit to Shanga for a tour from our guides. Upon her arrival to Shanga, and after meeting all of the beautiful people and seeing their creative expression, she thought, “I have to work here”, and here she is today, our very own designer!

Her goal is to learn more about Shanga and what it means to have a disability in the context of Shanga, and in the greater Tanzanian community. She hopes all the new things she learns will further inspire a creative, understanding, inviting, and beautiful place to work and to visit. She is also eager to work together with the talented Shanga staff to create unique, appealing products that further share the Shanga story. She is currently learning Swahili and Sign Language to help her to communicate better with everyone at Shanga.  

Fun Facts about Amber:

·         Amber loves to write.

·         Amber loves all forms of creative expression.

·         Amber’s favourite type of design is interior design. Last week, she redesigned her office, which now looks welcoming and well organized!

·         Amber’s passion for designing began when she was little, as she was very imaginative and creative. Her love for artistic expression further grew when she took a drawing class during her first semester of university.

·         Amber loves that Shanga is an organisation that understands the importance of providing employment opportunities for people with disabilities, through creative expression.

If you’d like to get in touch with Amber, feel free to contact her at design@shanga.org. We hope everyone will enjoy working with her as much as we do.  As kindred spirits, we warmly welcome Amber to Shanga and can’t wait to see her contributions to the team come to life! Karibu sana!

Recycling Sunflower Seed Oil at Shanga

We love recycling at Shanga, not only do we recycle materials that are transformed into hundreds of amazing products but we also recycle Sunflower Seed Oil as the energy source. We receive oil from Elewana properties as a by-product from their kitchen as well as other suppliers. For four years Shanga has been using Sunflower seed oil for energizing a glass furnace and the medium size Glory-hole. The glass furnace produces a wide variety of glass ware such as drinking glasses, bowls, jugs, carafes and house decorations. We may be the only people in the world who are using Sunflower Seed Oil in glass melting for art glass. 

Sunflower seed oil is a domestic product in Tanzania. The regions in the country’s central zone are a major producer, accounting for over 20 percent of national production. The planting and extracting cycle provides thousands of jobs.

Sunflower Seed oil is renewable in a sustainable manner, converting the energy of daily solar radiation to chemical energy through a biological vector in large sunflower plantations. The sunflower seed oil has zero carbon footprint, meaning in the plantations the carbon dioxide from ambient air is sequestered into a hydrocarbon compound, which converted into a liquid form is used to energize our furnace in an exothermic reaction together with ambient oxygen.  The carbon dioxide thus released is then sequestered back into the seeds in sunflowers. From flowers to flowers in a manner; through solar power as the driving force.  Think of the vast fields of sunflowers as huge biologically functioning solar energy converters.

Go green with Shanga by donating used cooking oil and we recycle it to produce glassware from our glass furnaces!

A special Shanga project

As a social enterprise ourselves, we at Shanga understand the importance of sharing skills and resources with other local community projects when we can. This month we were able to help out a local children's non-profit - The Learning Space - with a special arts project!

The Learning Space is a non-profit early childhood centre in Arusha that brings together children from different backgrounds to provide childcare and learning in a safe and stimulating environment. Earlier this month Learning Space Director Tara Finlay approached Shanga with an art project idea that could utilise Shanga's recycled glass beads.

We happily donated hundreds of our Shanga beads for the project and have been so thrilled to see the joyful photographs of the Learning Space children using the beads to create a unique tree sculpture in their playground garden.

Well done on a beautiful project Tara, and thank you for thinking of Shanga and utilising our recycled products!

This March we’re celebrating Swahili style!

One of the key ways we represent Swahili style in Shanga products is through our use of Tanzania’s unique fabrics in our sewing department. As with almost everything in local Tanzanian culture, Swahili fabrics each have their own interesting story and significance to the Tanzanian people. Learn more about the ‘kanga’, ‘kikoi’ and ‘shuka’ fabrics we use at Shanga:

Kanga

Kanga originated on the coast of East Africa in the mid-19th century. As the story goes, some stylish ladies in Zanzibar got the idea of buying printed kerchiefs from the bolt of cotton cloth sewed them back together to form very individualistic designs.

The early designs had a border and a pattern of white spots on a dark background and became known as "kanga", named after the noisy, sociable guinea-fowl with its elegant spotty plumage.

Kanga is a traditional gift in Tanzanian culture. It can be worn by both men and women, used as picnic cloth, tablecloths, seat covers or sewn to make different clothes. Apart from its protective and decorative role, kanga is all about sending a message – giving kanga is the equivalent of gift cards in western culture.

Kikoi

Kikoi is a traditional hand-woven cloth that was worn by Arab traders who came to East Africa. Over the years Kenyan fisherman and the East Africans integrated the Kikoi fabric as part of their traditional dress because of its comfortable nature in tropical climates.

Kikoi is worn by men, women and children. So versatile, it can be used as beach towels, beach wraps, picnic blankets, scarves, shawls, table cloths, curtains, baby wraps or sewn to make clothes and bags.

Maasai Shuka

The Maasai are a semi-nomadic people from East Africa who are known for their unique way of life, as well as their cultural traditions and customs.
The main garment worn by the Maasai is the shuka, which is a basic piece of fabric that can be worn in a variety of ways, depending on the personal style of the wearer.  The fabric is rubbed with color or dye to make it red, becoming a sort of camouflage with the red dirt of that part of Africa.

It was initially made out of animal skins, mostly cowhide but cotton is now the main material. However, due to the changing times and popularity of this shuka, lots of people are embracing the shuka and making use of it in order to meet their diverse needs. It can be used as a blanket, picnic mat, curtain, bedcover, scarf and design clothes or cushion covers.

Celebrating love at Shanga

It's February and Shanga is celebrating love. Today we want to share with you our own special love story - the story of Shanga staff members Livingstone and Upendo.
Livingstone says he had a crush on Upendo since they first met in a special primary school for the deaf, and was sad to loose contact in 2003 after school finished. Imagine his surprise in 2012 when Shanga's newest staff member in the weaving department turned out to be his childhood love! Livingstone remembers seeing Upendo again for the first time in the Shanga workshop
"I felt so happy and enlightened with her beauty and I felt right there that I didn’t want to lose her again" he says
Livingstone mustered the courage to ask Upendo on their first date to a park in Moshi. It wasn't long before he knew she was the woman for him.
"After a while of dating, I just felt assured that she was the woman I wanted to spend my life with, I couldn’t let this beauty slip away.
"I bought her red flowers and a card explaining how I wanted her forever by my side. At first Upendo thought I was not serious. Then I brought her an engagement ring and she agreed."
Livingstone and Upendo married in 2014 and since then have had a healthy able-bodied baby girl. Livingstone says his love for Upendo grows every day.
"Her beauty and politeness drives me crazy. I also love her self-respect and the way she cares" he says.

Education and Business Working Hand in Hand

The secret of success behind every flourishing business is the people.  With over 70 staff members, Shanga has always invested heavily in people and believes in giving people who are disadvantaged an opportunity to prove to themselves and to others, what they can achieve. Whilst our priority is to employ people with disabilities, and we are very proud to have nearly 50 disabled staff working with us, we have also partnered with a local education centre to give internship and employment opportunities to students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Kituo Cha Elimu Meserani (Meserani Education Centre or KCEM) is a fantastic organization on the outskirts of Arusha which provides free education and training to disadvantaged people. Many of the people who attend the centre come from extreme poverty and have not had the chance to go to school, learn important skills or find employment. The Centre offers free academic and vocational courses to give people skills which will help them in everyday life. As well as providing courses in English, Computers, Tailoring and Kiswahili, the Centre has an active Work Experience Programme which helps graduating students make the next step into full-time employment.

Since 2014, Shanga has partnered with KCEM to offer work experience placements to 10 students and counting. Everyone who has won a place at Shanga has completed courses in English and Computers and has had a keen desire to learn, work hard and achieve. The students spend time in key departments at Shanga, learning new skills from tour guiding, shop sales, stores assistance and even beading and metal work!

So far, five former KCEM students have been offered full time positions at Shanga and have been a credit to the Centre as well as an incredible asset to Shanga.

Dotto, a 24 year old from Mwanza, travelled all the way to Arusha to access the free education offered by KCEM to give him a new start in life after finishing his schooling in Form 4 (O levels) and struggling to find work. His initial placement in the Guiding department with Shanga wasn’t a good fit, but his organization skills and hard working attitude made him the ideal candidate for a Stores position. Within months he was promoted to Stores Manager and continues to run the complex stores operations with unwavering attention to detail and energy. “I really enjoy the day to day challenges of working at Shanga and being part of the Shanga family” Says Dotto. The job has not only given him independence for the first time, he is also able to help his parents and support his younger brother and sister with school fees.

Martha was the unfortunate victim of a snake bite and travelled more than 1000km to access free medical treatment from Merserani Snake Park Clinic after being unable to afford treatment anywhere else. Whilst in recovery at the clinic, she was encouraged to join the Centre and study. Due to her injuries, Martha finds walking and standing for long periods painful which meant finding work was difficult. She asked for a job at Shanga and was taken on in the Aluminum Department. Her skills in English meant she was able to talk to guests during the tours and was soon trained in delivering full tours for guests and assisting with shop sales. We’re really happy to have Martha as part of the team and it has given confidence to other workshop staff who never believed they could do more than manual work.

Shanga is looking forward to a continuing partnership with KCEM and appreciates the valuable work they are doing to support people from disadvantaged backgrounds. The Centre is mostly funded by UK charity LivLife who believe in giving people a hand-up not a hand-out to support sustainable development which fits perfectly with our ethos. To donate to the work of LivLife and KCEM visit their website ww.livlife.org. 

TEAM OF THE MONTH - THE BLUE TEAM

Well done to the Blue Team - the glass blowing department - for winning the "Team of the Month Prize". The team worked so hard in fulfilling all the orders for the safari camps who are gearing up for the new season whilst at the same time designing and producing samples for our new glass collection. They are a super cool bunch of guys and this prize is well deserved!

NEW RECRUIT AT SHANGA... MASOUD

Masoud is 20 years old and started working at Shanga last month. He has quickly become part of the team and has already proven he is very capable of producing amazing products. He is part of the Aluminium and Metal department where he is producing beautiful mobiles, wind chimes and many more products that we sell. Masoud took part in the ‘Usa River Rehabilitation and Training Centre’ shoe making course before he came to Shanga. He was born with Dwarfism which was tough for him growing up. He is fully integrated into the Shanga Family where he says he feels safe and happy now.