Save and Savour the World

By Rakeli Gichuki

One of my favourite authors E.B White author of the book Charlotte’s Web had this to say about life and the world; “If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem. But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.”  Well, fortunately for the world there are those who are able to achieve the delicate balance between savouring the world and doing good for the world.

This fine balance is impressively achieved through a social enterprise known as Wonder Workshop where basically art is used to savour the beauty of the great country of Tanzania and at the same time, act as a source of livelihood for people who would otherwise languish in poverty and despair.

Wonder Workshop is an organization based in Tanzania that creates art items through recycling various materials ranging from paper, glass and metal. It provides employment for over 40 people majority of whom are people living with a physical disability

Wonder workshop shop

Friday the 15th of November 2013 saw the GCC participants visit the wonder workshop in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. In the workshop, we were taken the process of producing some of the products the organization puts up for sale. The workshop is in three parts depending on the materials used in production. There is the metal and wood section that produces metallic or wood art items using metal or wood. Most of the materials in this section depict some of the beautiful animals Tanzania has within its borders. The artist make the animals either in small sizes that can be used as play toys for children or for home deco while others are made into life size metallic cut outs of the animals for a variety of use. 

Then we have the glass section where either the glass makes certain items such as flower vases or toothbrush holders. The artists crush and mold the glass into different shapes to make different kinds of ornaments. The paper section recycles paper to make cards, bookmarks and calendars among other things. 

In the workshop we met Rukia a married mother of two. Rukia has been working in the workshop for the past seven years in the final stage of the paper section where she puts together various pieces of paper to make calendars, greeting cards, et cetera. She is quite happy because, were it not for the workshop she would begging for money in the streets. Even though the revenue generated from her work is not able to fulfill all of her financial needs, Rukia is happy because she is able to provide for her two children as well as support her husband, who is currently unemployed.

Rukia showing a card she made

We also had the chance to talk to Rose in the glass section. She is a very vibrant woman who has also been working at the workshop for over five years. Rose, before joining the workshop was selling illicit brew in her hometown. She boldly confesses that selling the brew brought in more money, but she was always working under constant fear of, being under arrest owing to the illegality of her enterprise and at the same time facing harassment from her customers due to the nature of her business. 

Rose busy at work

Wonder Workshop gave her a legitimate form of employment with a steady income.

Now, whereas I agree with Mr. White, that the world presents an enigma in its conflicting seductive and challenging nature, I say, that beauty and wonder is created when one is bold enough to mix some bit of the seduction and some bit of life’s challenges. This in most cases results to the person having fun and making the world a better place just like they do it in the Wonder Workshop.