Meeting the women weavers of Ifakara

Ferry crossing at Kilobero River during the dry season

In the village of Ifakara, not too far from the tempestuous Kilombero River where a ferry flipped a year earlier drowning a number of passengers, I had the chance to visit the Ifakara women weavers. These women are part of a cooperative that provides an income source to women in the region. The women produce the famous Ifakara 'kikoi', the hand-loom weavings worn as a sarong, body wrap, head-cover or scarf. These colourful kikoi's are produced from hand-dyed yarns, using wooden equipment that I thought I would only see in museums.

Woman wearing a kikoi

It was a joy to watch them weave and even more of a joy to look at the dozens of colourful designs that the kikoi factory had produced. In the Tanzanian capital of Dar es Salaam, about 8 hours away, the Ifakara kikoi can be found in upscale shops for about £10 - £13 each. But at the Ifakara kikoi factory, you can get them for nearly half the price. One wonders how a kikoi shop could have any relationship to microsolar distribution in rural Tanzania, which is the focus of my project. But the relevance is certainly there.

An Ifakara woman weaver

The leveraging of existing distribution channels will facilitate the distribution of microsolar products in the country. For example, the Ifakara kikoi's can be found in many shops throughout Tanzania, from the southern highlands of Iringa, to the northern safari circuits of Arusha, to the capital city of Dar es Salaam. Somehow, the kikoi's, produced not too far from the tempestuous Kilombero River, wove its way to distant regions of the country. And the women's cooperative were able to do this while keeping the final price relatively reasonable and whilst maintaining a sustainable business to keep the women weavers employed.

More about this in my next blog, but in the meantime please support this project by donating whatever you can.

Thank you,
Irna