Crafting: Women's Empowerment

I’m sitting in a bright and buzzy classroom with around 20 other women. People chat excitedly, leaning over to see what their neighbours are working on. Music plays in the background; some people are singing along, others humming their own tune. The occasional squeal pops out as someone finishes their piece, delighted with their own handiwork. We swap colours, we sort beads, we pass scissors, we snip threads, we admire each other’s work. The room is filled with colour and creativity and fun and love.

I’m helping out at Lifted Strong, a women’s empowerment organisation in Arusha, Tanzania, and I’m attending the weekly beading class. Lifted Strong is an NGO started by two truly incredible Tanzanian ladies, Eva Boaz and Joyce Beyda. They met doing previous NGO work and realised they had a shared passion for empowering women and improving the health and wellbeing of the people in their communities, and so together they created Lifted Strong.

One of their main efforts is the Build Up plan, a support program for local ladies (known as Mamas) who are HIV positive and/or living in difficult circumstances. Sadly, there is still a huge stigma surrounding HIV and AIDS in Tanzania, and many people with the condition struggle to find jobs and are ostracised by their families. Lifted Strong provides healthcare, HIV support and advice, English, business and health classes, and the chance to develop various skills and crafts like sewing, gardening and beading.

Beadwork is an important part of Tanzanian and African culture, and has been practised for millennia. In 2004, archaeologists excavating a cave near Cape Town, South Africa discovered shell beads dating back an incredible 75,000 years. Beadwork provides a fascinating insight into the history of trade and development: in early centuries, beads were made of natural, local materials, and in later ones, glass beads began to appear, first from India and the Middle East, and then from Europe.

In Tanzania, beading is a true art form, and while many beaded items have cultural and ritual significance, others form an attractive and colourful part of everyday life. The northern part of Tanzania where Arusha is located is also the home of the famous Maasai tribe, who are well-known for their bright and beautiful beadwork. It is not uncommon to see Maasai on the daladala (minibus) into the city, adorned in their stunning beaded earrings, headpieces, chokers, cuffs and collars.

One thing I love about Maasai beadwork is that the craft belongs to women alone, and it is considered extremely significant work. It is an important ritual for Maasai women to congregate and bead together using techniques passed down from mother to daughter for generations. The stunning jewellery and household items they create are sold in markets to generate income for the whole community now that it is getting harder for the men to sustain their families through pastoralism alone.

At Lifted Strong, the Mamas learn various beading techniques and skills, producing beautiful jewellery that they can sell in the markets. They also teach a weekly workshop to volunteers from the volunteer house down the road, another great way of earning funds. Besides this, it's also a lovely couple of hours of culture exchange, knowledge sharing, fun, laughter, mutual support, and an outpouring of creativity for people who may not have done any crafting for a long time.

This is why beading is the craft that brings me joy. Although I only managed to learn how to make simple, single-string bracelets and anklets, I am still proud of creating something with my own hands, something beautiful and meaningful. When I wear any of the pieces I made, bought, or was gifted during my period at Lifted Strong, I am instantly filled with happiness because they bring back memories of my time in Tanzania, one of the happiest times of my life, a world where women taught, learnt from, supported and uplifted other women.

I find inspiration in the colours and vibrancy of the Maasai and Tanzania, the spark of creativity and artistry I discovered in myself, the strength and the power of the Mamas, who have been through so much and still find the light and laughter in life and, most of all, the incredible idea that I’m continuing a tradition passed along from woman to woman from 75,000 years ago to today.

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COVID-19 has hit Lifted Strong, and Tanzania in general, very hard as they’ve seen many economic opportunities and tourism revenue disappear. Please consider donating, if you are able, to help support these wonderful women. Their first goal is to continue the Build Up program, providing food, healthcare and education to the Mamas. Eva and Joyce hope they may also receive enough donations to purchase a second hand Landcruiser (around 10,000 USD) as they are struggling to hire vehicles for their medical outreach in rural communities.