The resilience of a people, my lessons from Tanzania Part II

BY WAZARI JOHNSON

In my last article about my experience in Tanzania, I focused a lot on the community of Dares Salaam and the entrepreneurial activities that I saw there.

In this article I want to zoom in on a place that really had an impact on me; The Wonder Workshop. I have always been a believer in the idea that one sure way to alleviate poverty is to instill the idea of economic self-sufficiency or self-reliance in people. It is always better to teach a man to fish as opposed to giving him a fish for the day. The best thing you can do for people is to equip them, through skills training or education.

The Wonder Workshop was built on, and operates from this principle. I have great respect for this team of Tanzanians. These are persons with physical challenges; however, when you see their creations, it only reflects tremendous abilities.

At this workshop of wonder, you will see outstanding sculptures, stationary, crafts, gift solutions, greeting cards and functional art.

The real treat is that, these impressive pieces are made from recycled and upcycled materials. They turn trash into treasure. Old car parts, scrap metal, and scrap wire are used to create sculptures of animals that are native to, or can be found around the region of Tanzania.  It is actually seeing them up close, which really reveals and highlights the level of craftsmanship that is involved in the creation and production of these items.

Can you imagine seeing a crocodile that could be about 20 feet in length made from scrap metal? Especially when the way the metal is utilized evokes the essence of the crocodile with metal shards used to even mimic scales?  This behemoth really was visually intimidating.

They have a “green” line of stationary and greeting cards made from recycled paper. They gather all the discarded paper they can find around them and break them down into a pulp. It is then converted to new paper. They illustrate and stamp interesting designs on these items and some of the greeting cards have designs that are enhanced by scrap copper wire being incorporated in them.

They even built a kiln, collected broken glass from all over Tanzania and used the kiln to create beads and other glass craft.

The founders of this venture were once beggars on the street, and just like the plant nursery owners and potters of Dares Salaam, they decided to break that cycle. They have changed their situation and forged a better tomorrow for themselves.  I have the utmost respect for people like that.

The Wonder Workshop team is offering solutions. They are offering: skills training, poverty alleviation, job creation (especially for people with physical challenges and special needs) and they are also helping their society and the planet through recycling.

The recycling aspect is very important. When we recycle used materials, they are converted into new products, reducing the need to consume natural resources. This is typically done through mining and deforestation. Recycling helps conserve important raw materials and protects natural habitats for the future.

The wise man Solomon said, “A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.” I witnessed the fulfillment of these very words at the Wonder Workshop.  World leaders from different countries are on the list of customers of the workshop. This is evident by the pictures of George W. Bush (former President of the United States of America), and Tony Blair (former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom) purchasing pieces from them, which are displayed in their showrooms.

There is great work happening there, especially in the area of its social impact. I saw people who were challenged, coming together to solve a common problem. They worked together, pooled resources and created something that could sustain all of them and that is just brilliant!

Seeing the things I did in Tanzania has made me question, could things be similar to this in other African countries?  I wonder, whether the narrative is being twisted just like the narrative I got about Tanzania was twisted.

It also made me think about the way I see people of African descent behave in the Caribbean and North America. The many examples of: divisiveness, disunity, self-hatred and jealousy. There seems to be a lack of ability to seek the best for each other and work as a community. I have seen more resolve in the area laying snares and tearing each other down. There are exceptions but it would be great to have the exceptions being the rule.

Since going to Tanzania I have become a bit more sympathetic to those that suffer from the crabs in a barrel syndrome. A barrel is not a crab’s natural environment, that is why they behave the way they do in a barrel and maybe, just maybe a lot of the people we see behaving in that hateful, divisive and bitter manner are just products of bad social environments.

I am happy though that I had the opportunity to witness love and unity producing their pleasant fruitage, in that place that I love so much, called Tanzania.