both-sides-of-the-zambezi

[both-sides-of-the-zambezi]

(via CELEBRATION of Life :: Thembekile Ngwabi 1971 - 2023)

This article is dedicated to the memory of Gogo, aka Thembi Ngwabi, an unforgettable sister, full of life and love, a strong and fearless woman, admirable artist, a voice of wisdom courageous to speak up. I treasure the encounters and conversations that we shared.

https://radiocontinentaldrift.wordpress.com/2023/12/30/thembingwabi/

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Esnart Mweemba talks about ilala crafts

Esnart Mweemba is an artist, researcher, crafts producer, crafts expert and trader from Choma Southern Province of Zambia. For many years she worked for Choma Museum as a crafts development officer, training hundreds of men and women in traditional crafts like Tonga Basket weaving with the leaf of the ilala palm. 

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Esnart Mweemba at the yard of her farm in Harmony near Choma with various hand-woven structures 2018

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In the present interview with Esnart from 2016, we focus on the ilala crafts in particular; this in fact was due to our work in Binga at the time, an oral history, training and radio project with the women of Zubo Trust. I had come to Zambia for a couple of days, and at the morning of the interview recording, was about to cross the border back to Binga Zimbabwe. I had brought along as a little gift for Esnart, one of the ilala bags by Zubo women; and this is one of the subjects discussed here in conversation. We are comparing the bag produced by Zubo with some other ilala bags, we happen to have at hand. The interview is thus in parts particularly addressed to the Zubo women, as Esnart’s feedback, knowledge sharing and solidarity message to the women in the Zambezi valley.

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The starting point of our conversation is a national “training the trainers” projects by the Ministry of Tourism in Zambia at the time. The ministry contracted Esnart Mweemba and Agness Buya Yombwe as experts to run and oversee crafts training across all the country's provinces over two years; I was curious hearing a little more about the still ongoing project from Esnart herself.

For an interview, that features the vast variety of Esnart’s cultural expertise, please see/ hear her 2012 interview

Here an excerpt from Esnart’s 2012 interview in beautiful remix by UK artist Felicity Ford aka Knitsonic:

FelicityVFord · They don't know about the beads

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Esnart's Bio:

My name is Esnart Mweemba. I am 62 years old; a self-taught artist, crafts maker, trainer and researcher living in Choma District, Zambia. Textile arts (batik, tapestry, tie and dye) are my discipline; I also paint, produce prints, practice weaving with Malala (palm leaves) and beadwork. Weaving and beats are traditional Tonga crafts; now even globally renowned. I’ve done community research on Tonga culture; and assisted in the production of a number of CD compilations of Kankobela music (thumb-piano). When I grew up, it was my mother who taught me basket-weaving in the Tonga tradition. As an artist, I feel it’s important for me to care about this traditional knowledge of my people and continue develop its practice together with my community. Crafts-making is a way to empower communities with skills that may generate income and jobs. I train product development, and capacitate makers in developing new ideas and products. From 1995-2007, I was the Crafts Manager and Crafts Development Officer at Choma Museum and Crafts Centre (CMCC), trained hundreds of people in the district, organized crafts competitions and assisted in the production of exhibitions. In 2014, I facilitated a series of nationwide workshops in “crafts, design, production and quality enhancement” under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism and Arts in Zambia. I’ve trained support groups of various counseling organisations in crafts, and worked with orphans, vulnerable children and in HIV affected households. In 1993, I took part in the first national workshop for female artists at Henry Tayeli Gallery Lusaka. Since then, I have participated in many art exhibitions, festivals, study tours and workshops in Zambia and abroad. At the beginning of my working life, I worked in the local government department of agriculture. Today, next to family, arts and crafts, I am pursuing agriculture on my own land.

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Some further Links:

Lechwe Trust, my name is listed among the collection artists: https://www.lechwetrust.org

"Women in Art” exhibition at Choma Museum 2013

Here an example of my involvement in community research on Tonga music with CMBaird; my vital assistance for the productions is directly mentioned.

My personal FB profile

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Esnart Mweemba's tapestry work “Pregnant Baobab” is in the collection of Lechwe Trust in Lusaka and was shown at the opening of the new gallery in December 2018

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(via Breaking Barriers – DJ Kwe unites indigenous women in music)

“Radio Remixes Voices of Binga” went public the very day I took off to Binga to join Zubo Trust women on the journey to their own media production. When I traveled around Lake Kariba to join women producers at Zongwe FM in Zambia, oral history became “radio active” and Binga women recordings built a radio-bridge between Tonga communities both sides of the Zambezi. DJ Kwe’s dance tracks were part and parcel of these three-in-one journeys. Prior to the release of the album, and starting from Kwe’s first contact to me, another amazing, but much more hidden journey unfolded… #indigenousknowledge #humanrights #womenempowerment #firstnation #DJKwe #aboriginalelectronica

https://soundcloud.com/wax-warriors-record-label

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Nosiko Mundia - documenting to share knowledge

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Nosiko is a young woman born and raised in Sinazongwe Zambia. I am interested to hear her story how she got to join the community radio Zongwe FM. Nosiko has completed secondary school and had open ears for a different pass-time. She listened to the local radio in her homestead thinking ‘i can do just as well’. When ZongweFM team was looking for a secretary, she joined. Nosiko tells us that she long since had a dream of becoming a journalist; but now, checking on reality, she’ll soon start training as a nurse. In the Zongwe team, Nosiko also breaks into a rather male-dominated field: football commentary. She describes for us the process, how it’s done at Zongwe FM; even gives us a sound bite.

“can you manage behind the mic…? Yes I can!”

Nosiko was one of only very few young women who came to join our Zongwe training and broadcasts; and she was the only one to stay long enough for us to achieve some work together; such as the “Basimbi Radio” workshops and broadcasts with school girls; and an exchange visit to Zubo Trust in Binga across Kariba Lake which Nosiko got to join and document.

“come to Zongwe FM, join me as your sister!” (birth of “basimbi radio”)

Others came once or twice and vanished. It needed a lot of time, patience and flexibility to find the young ladies and collect them from wherever they were if need be. Reasons for the difficulty are varied, but I could convince myself that it all boils down to women’s endless duties at home and in their families. I found myself negotiating free time for the girls from mothers and fathers…  Memory and feeling told me that my experiences in neighboring Zimbabwe have been better by degrees. I went to and through various statistical records; numbers seem to confirm my impressions. See for example: WEF gender-gap index 2015 (the last year that Zambia is listed) or UNwomen sdg-report

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The second interview with Nosiko Mundia was recorded shortly after her return from Binga where she accompanied Maria Ntandiyana and Cleopatra Nchite, two representatives of Sinazongwe women clubs on a visit to the women’s organisation Zubo Trust. Nosiko is still excited. As for the other two women, it was her very first international journey into unknown territory. She tells us about the different kinds of economic empowerment projects which they got to know among Zubo women, the kapenta fishing, the craft weavers, the soap production from Jatropha.

“my role was to record...”

Nosiko reflects on her role as the record-keeper, the one who documents the event in service for the others to assist memory and for those back home so even they may learn by listening to the recordings. We ask her about any differences in the lives of women she may have noticed:

“women in Sinazongwe don’t cooperate… and they don’t sell what they produce...”

Based on Nosiko’s audio documentation, we made a number of broadcasts for the community where she, and also Maria and Cleopatra reported what they had witnessed and learned. Clips from the broadcasts are already archived.

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Mrs Chilowana Senior Teacher - it is not so easy for the girls...

Sinazongwe Primary School was established in 1958 - i.e. at the time of the forced resettlement of the Tonga people. Over the 50 years since it was established, the school didn’t have one female head teacher… as Mrs Chilowana tells us.

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Mrs Chilowana has been in the teaching services for 25 year; the past 10 years as a Senior Teacher at Sinazongwe Primary/ Secondary School. In the interview, we ask Mrs Chilowana to give us a little insight in to the life of a woman in employment and public service in the rural areas of Sinazongwe district. In the first track, Mrs Chilowana tells a bit of her own story…

“It’s not so easy..."

In the main part of the interview, we ask Mrs Chilowana to describe for us the social expectations on girl children in the community and how these community customs translate in to challenges in young women’s lives and education…

“Girls are expected to do much of the home chose…"

There are various programmes in place to sensitize the community, lighten the plight of the girls and take steps of changing community habits. In the last part of the interview, Mrs Chilowana describes some of the “moderate changes” and tells us i.a. about the activities of the Guidance Office, a re-entry policy to school for young mothers and the involvement of the various stakeholders in the area.

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One of our responses to the situation Mrs Chilowana describes in her interview was “Basimbi Radio” - radio with and for girls, a special venture throughout the school holidays in August with weekly workshops and live shows. Music: DJ Kwe

A Radio-Bridge across the Zambezi by Feralmind

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The Radio-Bridge Compilation has some powerful tracks, tools for us, that we often played in our Basimbi Radio shows like this remix by Feralmind (London woman DJ) based on a recording by Zubo Trust’s Margaret Munkuli of Labecca singing a warning song for girls…

[bandcamp width=100% height=120 album=1207535398 size=large bgcol=ffffff linkcol=0687f5 tracklist=false artwork=small track=3915267725]

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Chiefteness Mwenda - as women in Africa we carry a huge responsibility

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Normally in Tonga culture, they don’t give the position to women…

Trained as a nurse, and a leprosy controller in her district, Mrs Kalichi didn’t have plans leaving her job and ordinary family life. The male folk among the royal family refused to take up the vacant position of the chief - why should they leave their job in town for some “backward stuff” in the remote rural areas of Chikankata Zambia…?!

It’s not interesting, my sister…

Eli Mwiinga Namazuminana Kalichi became Chiefteness Mwenda of Chikankata in 2006. In this interview, she unravels for us why she took the step that her brothers refused, and what it meant for her life to take up the traditional leadership position as a woman, and become the first ever Chiefteness in Southern Province… Today, Chiefteness Mwenda is Deputy Chair of the house of Chiefs; and with my questions, I encouraged her to tell us a little more about the House and its 10% female members.

As women, we have huge responsibility towards all community…

Chiefteness Mwenda feels deep empathy for the women and girls in her district and sees her responsibility as a female leader in taking steps to change the plight of women’s lives for the better.

Belonging comes natural with the sound of the drums from the Valley…

Chiefteness Mwenda was a baby girl of three at the time of the forced removal; but her father came from the valley, and the memory of the forced removal and resettlement of the Tonga people and, of the Tonga culture and tradition was very much present in the family when Eli Mwiinga was growing up.

Twalumba loko; special thanks to Sharon Monga for brokering the opportunity to record this interview with Chiefteness Mwenda and for accompanying me on the journey to her native Chikankata.

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Gogo - an ancient voice of the future

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Thembi Ngwabi prefers to be called Gogo; ugogo meaning “granny, grandmother” in Ndebele. Even in 2012, when we recorded our first interview at Amakhosi Cultural Centre, the title of the elder and, an ancestral calling was already with Thembi. In 2013, I found her just relocated to the Lupane bush, in search of a realisation for her calling, and with a programme of cultural dance for local women and children at hand. We documented also this encounter with recordings.

The rain rituals have taken over my life...

In the present recording from October 2018 made at CoCont (Cont’s place) in Lupane, you may listen to the story of a demanding calling in Ugogo’s own words and voice. She describes her transformation from a young creative woman grown up in town (Bulawayo), a dancer, bass-guitarist, director of plays and films and of the Amakhosi Performing Arts Academy to a rapidly-aged, traditional rain-dancer in the Lupane bushland who follows spiritual instructions to build a new rain-making shrine which, as she has is linked straight to the Njelele shrine…

Almost everyone in Binga knows Maalila...

I ask Gogo in particular to tell us about her recent research in Binga. She had discovered that the geographically and historically closest rain-maker to her area in Lupane had lived in Binga. They went for a two-weeks research to Binga, and got to know the story of Maalila. He used to perform rain-making rituals at Binga’s hot springs until the Zimbabwe government and National Parks claimed the land as private property. Based on Gogo’s research, a thirteen-episode TV series about Maalila was developed and produced in Binga.

We need to go back to where we lost ourselves...

I also encourage Gogo to talk about her role as a woman in local culture and a woman leader of a new spiritual centre. I’m interested in Gogo’s contemporary open-mind now joint by an ancient voice; and curious about what I hear as a balance between a revival of culture and a celebration of diversity. Gogo ends the interview on a strong call and vision for her people… “we are fake… we don’t know what we are doing… we need to go back to where we lost ourselves...then, we can move on...”

In her career as a bass guitarist, Thembi used to produce rain-dance music in full-band set. “I thought it was just a passion...” she said. At the beginning of the present interview, Ugogo and her girl apprentice perform a traditional rain-making song.

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I felt shy photographing Ugogo… thus the pictures show mainly the dry Lupane bushland… and the trail of what was Cecil Rhodes’ dead-straight road through the bush….

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We are proud and happy being featured by #femalepressure joining the amazing visual representation of productive pressureists from around the world. Twalumba loko. That’s “thank you very much” in ChiTonga.

female:pressure is an international network for women+ trans and non-binary artists in the fields of electronic music and digital arts with over 2200 artists from 75 countries founded in 1998 by Electric Indigo. ****** Inspired by Björk's Pitchfork article in January 2015 where she notes the lack of photographic documentation of women at work, the collective female:pressure created this blog. ****** Building a curated image based collection of women+ & non-binary, trans artists in music production & performing arts in their working environment with in their own process, in relation to technology, a political effort.

Patience Kabuku aka DJ Petty Young & Monica Sianbunkululu DJ Mo: presenters at Zongwe FM

“Mukuwa in muntu siya country”

https://radiocontinentaldrift.wordpress.com/2018/01/07/women-on-air-at-zongwe-fm/

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Bulemu Mutale - South-North Volunteer

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She was fortunate being encouraged to go to school... Bulemu Mutale tells us her story of a young woman growing up in the rural areas near the Zambezi, but also describes for us in detail how we can imagine the life of young women in Binga to look like...

“I come from a community where education for young women is not prioritised….”

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With the help of her grandmother, Bulemu completed school. Her mother had passed on; then her father lost his job and became ill. Bulemu started working in a local super market and picked up the role of the breadwinner for the family. The money job didn’t satisfy her. She started volunteering at an orphanage, Sunrise Children’s Home and discovered her passion: working with children. When she got involved in helping packaging products like soap and baskets of Zubo women, she also began volunteering for Zubo Trust regularly.

“I am going there as “Zubo”… maybe i’m going to call myself “Zubo”…!”

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In 2018, Bulemu was chosen to participate in an exchange programme and go to Germany in January 2019. This interview was recorded in November, and in it, I encourage Bulemu to travel ahead with her imagination and share with us her expectations, her questions, her fear, and her projects...

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By now Bulemu is already working as a volunteer in a kita in Bielefeld. She is one of 16 young people from the global Souths to participate in a South – North exchange programme at Welthaus Bielefeld, which allows young volunteers from the global South to gain experiences in Germany in their chosen area of social engagement.

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ZUBO Trust is a women’s organization working with the rural women of the Zambezi valley in Zimbabwe since 2009. Zubo Trust has accomplished well-recognized work in organising the rural women, establishing producer collectives, securing women’s lively-hoods, and boosting their independence and self-esteem. One of Zubo’s pioneering initiatives is an all-women fishery project. Further projects include organic agriculture, developing cosmetic products and, the local crafts, especially basket weaving.

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Samba Yonga - the journey of an influential woman

“Samba Yonga is a Zambian journalist and media consultant. She has worked a long time as editor for Big Issue Zambia and has written for several other publications. Yonga is the founder of Ku-Atenga Media, a media consultancy firm and was named one of Destiny’s “Power of 40” most influential women in Africa 2017.”

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Thus begins a Wikipedia article for Samba Yonga archived i.a. under the category “women in Zambia”. If you’d follow the link of that category, you’ll now find a sizeable number of articles, recently published about notable women in Zambia. This in itself is part and parcel of Samba Yonga’s work, part of a long journey and research…

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Samba Yonga shares with us her journey of a woman in the media in Zambia, becoming an influential player in the emerging industry of digital representation, and a keen researcher throughout.

Samba’s storytelling is a fascinating genre of, i’d call it practical roll-modelling. She takes the listeners with her in her thought processes and inquiring and thus allows us to share in to her discoveries, questions and decisions on her journey.

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Didn’t women really do anything..? Where is our history…?

Samba Yonga co-founded the Museum of Women’s History in Zambia together with Mulenga Kapwepwe. The aim of the initiative is to insert the missing half of the country’s history into the mainstream and to do so in creative ways and with the means of contemporary digital media. This amazing initiative of rewriting a country’s history is the main focus of this interview, and with my questions I encouraged Samba to tell her story with this particular perspective in mind and to reveal to us how it ultimately came to founding the Women’s Museum.

In track 6 of the interview, you’ll hear about the most recent developments and activities of the Women’s Museum, the WikiWomen project #HerZambianHistory in early 2018 and the series of audio-visual podcast #LeadingLadiesZM about to be launched just now, in March, Women's History Month 2019. Listen here for a short introduction

We recorded the interview in the National Museum in Lusaka (occasionally you’ll hear some disturbances in the background); the Museum actually already granted exhibition space for the Women’s History Museum’s future displays.

Find the Museum of Women’s History online at:  

  https://www.whmzambia.org/ (currently under construction)

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Listen to Samba talking about: The Leading Ladies Zambia project

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An amazing storyteller, Penny Yon writes her-story as she speaks and a couple of other histories in Zimbabwe Arts and BaTonga cultural exchange too….

The recordings of Penny’s audio history-writing was very recently part of live shows on Zongwe FM, when we were re-telling the steps of the long journey of inter/cultural relations and exchange across Lake Kariba and the beginnings of Tonga radio-bridging across the Zambezi (stay tuned as we’ll archive the Zongwe FM live shows of 2018 soon…!)

Hear Penny’s account of the Tonga.Online project reaching for the first time across Lake Kariba.

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Penny Yon

“Close to the Sky…”

“Food ‘n Drink and sun-tuned drums…"

“He drunk the beer and he died…”

The Arts administrator at Pamberi Trust/ Book Café Harare; Penny lived in Binga for many years, working for Kunzwana Trust in support of Tonga musicians and later, since 2000, for the Tonga.Online project; returning to Harare in 2005. Penny describes in detail her life and project work in Binga, and the fascinating music of the BaTonga… “I’m also fascinated (by the Tonga people)… because they are marginalized like I am…,” she says, and dives into the stories of people of “mixed race” in Zimbabwe…

29 Sept 2012 (60’); link to playlist and further intro:

link to playlist 2 (seven clips).

Here’s a link to an interview with Penny Yon published in Newsday in 2011. The picture by Penny was taken by Brian Jerome Williams, turn of the year 2011/12.

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“I was the only girl...”

The story of DJ Petronella recorded in Lusaka 2012, recently inspired young women presenters at the community radio Zongwe FM in Sinazongwe Zambia; especially one clip went on-air numerous times in the Zambezi Valley… reactions are also documented ... and remixed further...

Encouraged by her Mum, Petronella went for auditions at ZNBC… She was the only girl… Got it! ...and this became the start of her career in radio.

We made the recording with DJ Petronella at Kulima tower in the floors of Joy FM Lusaka where she was working at the time in 2012. Listen to Petronella...!

The recording and story from DJ Petronella inspired vivid response from DJ Mo and DJ Nono in a Zongwe FM Family Show in July 2018. The studio - as usual filled with male Zongwe presenters but plans for “Basimbi Radio” already in the pipeline, the women presenters, Monica and Nosiko were delighted to grasp the opportunity for a shout-out to the women and girls in the community to make their voices heard.

listen to a clip from the Zongwe Family show

Excerpts from this on-air show went out even further with the jingle for “Basimbi Radio” a weekly radio opportunity with and for young women on Zongwe FM. Music by Crystal DJ Kwe Favel from the 2016 Album "Radio Remixes Voices of Binga".

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(radio continental drift)

“if you are an outstanding woman, you have a 1-in-6 chance of having a Wikipedia article; if you are an African woman, you have a 1-in-300 chance.”

#HerZambianHistory a WikiWomen project of the Museum of Women’s History Zambia took steps last year 2018 to chance the balance in partnership with the Swedish Embassy. We talked to three of the writers on the project to hear more details.

“I want to tell HER story” is remix to go on-air on #IWD2019 at 1:30 pm GMT on ResonanceFM London when Samba Yonga, co-founder of the #MuseumofWomensHistory talks live to N.N.D.

in the remix you hear the writers for #WikiWomen Zambia, Grace Kubikisha, Leelee Ngwenya and Lisa Chilombo Sakala; music by Danny Thompson aka Bass Oratory and Donna Maya.

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Grace Kubikisha writes #HerZambianHistory

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Grace Kubikisha grew up in Zambia, worked in the textile business of her parents, and spent a number of years with work and education in America, only quite recently returning to Zambia and is now working in business together with her mother. As an insider with an outsider’s perspective, she gives us an interesting insight in the lives of Zambian women. She’s a freelance writer and multi-tasking in a number of jobs but very passionate about women’s representation in her country, which drove her to volunteer for wiki women Zambia.

Women in Zambia don’t have a voice, but…

We are doing it…!!

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Talking to writers of WikiWomen Zambia

The WikiWomen Zambia project is one among a number of activities of the Museum of Women’s History to actively and positively address the gender gap in Zambia – and subsequently Zambia’s global representation. Partner in this project is the Swedish embassy. The aim: to create content about notable Zambian women, both historical and contemporary, and publish the information online at wikipedia.

Here are just some of the statistics which underline the urgency of activities like these: less than 20% of all wikipedia writers are female; only 12% of biographies in Subsaharan-Africa are about women; if you are an outstanding woman, you have a 1-in-6 chance of having a Wikipedia article; if you are an African woman, you have a 1-in-300 chance.

read more 

In February 2018, a first three-day training and edit-a-thon #HerZambianHistory with 30 participants took place in Lusaka. Samba Yonga, co-founder of the Museum of Women’s History Zambia introduced me to three of the women writers on the project in December just shortly before my return to Europe. We recorded interviews with Grace Kubikisha, Leelee Ngwenya, Lisa Chilombo Sakala and finally, on my very last day in Zambia, with Samba herself.

I ask the women to describe and reflect for us – from their individual experience and perspective - the life of Zambian women; tell us a bit about their own journey of becoming a professional woman in Zambia. Then we talk about their participation in the wiki women project: what made them join the project; how was their experience of working online; and of working in team with the other participants; anything that surprised them during the workshop; will they continue?

For documentation about WikiWomen Zambia see #HerZambianHistory at: 

https://www.instagram.com/womensmuseumzed/

https://www.facebook.com/MuseumofWomensHistoryZambia/

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Leelee Ngwenya writes #HerZambianHistory

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Puthumile Ngwenya aka Leelee, identifies as a Zambian woman and, a feminist. She shares with us the perspective of women in the media in Zambia. She has worked, both nationally and internationally as an actress, a writer, script writer I.a. She’s an experienced radio and TV host and collaborates with other women on radio and TV shows for and about women. She’s passionate about women’s representation in Zambia and was eager to learn more about African women on wikipedia and how to contribute to change the balance.

How far have we come…?

Looking for Zambian role models…

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Talking to writers of WikiWomen Zambia

The wiki women Zambia project is one among a number of activities of the Museum of Women’s History to actively and positively address the gender gap in Zambia – and subsequently Zambia’s global representation. Partner in this project is the Swedish embassy. The aim: to create content about notable Zambian women, both historical and contemporary, and publish the information online at wikipedia.

Here are just some of the statistics which underline the urgency of activities like these: less than 20% of all wikipedia writers are female; only 12% of biographies in Subsaharan-Africa are about women; if you are an outstanding woman, you have a 1-in-6 chance of having a Wikipedia article; if you are an African woman, you have a 1-in-300 chance.

read more

In February 2018, a first three-day training and edit-a-thon #HerZambianHistory with 30 participants took place in Lusaka. Samba Yonga, co-founder of the Museum of Women’s History Zambia introduced me to three of the women writers on the project in December just shortly before my return to Europe. We recorded interviews with Grace Kubikisha, Leelee Ngwenya, Lisa Chilombo Sakala and finally, on my very last day in Zambia, with Samba herself.

We ask the women to describe and reflect for us – from their individual experience and perspective - the life of Zambian women; tell us a bit about their own journey of becoming a professional woman in Zambia. Then we talk about their participation in the wiki women project: what made them join the project; how was their experience of working online; and of working in team with the other participants; anything that surprised them during the workshop; will they continue?

For documentation about WikiWomen Zambia see #HerZambianHistory at: 

https://www.instagram.com/womensmuseumzed/

https://www.facebook.com/MuseumofWomensHistoryZambia/

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Lisa Chilombo Sakala writes #HerZambianHistory

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Lisa Chilombo Sakala shares with us the life of a young published writer in Zambia, who went through struggles to survive, to go through an education at University of Zambia and, against many odds, become a writer. Women role models meant a lot to her in her life and she tells us about some significant examples for her. It’s her passion for Zambian women to be known globally. With little previous experience in online work, she was excited to be selected for the Wiki Women project and eager to learn what it means for “writing to go global”.

Women in Zambia, but…

Write women on the world map…

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Talking to writers of WikiWomen Zambia

The wiki women Zambia project is one among a number of activities of the Museum of Women’s History to actively and positively address the gender gap in Zambia – and subsequently Zambia’s global representation. Partner in this project is the Swedish embassy. The aim: to create content about notable Zambian women, both historical and contemporary, and publish the information online at wikipedia.

Here are just some of the statistics which underline the urgency of activities like these: less than 20% of all wikipedia writers are female; only 12% of biographies in Subsaharan-Africa are about women; if you are an outstanding woman, you have a 1-in-6 chance of having a Wikipedia article; if you are an African woman, you have a 1-in-300 chance.

read more

In February 2018, a first three-day training and edit-a-thon #HerZambianHistory with 30 participants took place in Lusaka. Samba Yonga, co-founder of the Museum of Women’s History Zambia introduced me to three of the women writers on the project in December just shortly before my return to Europe. We recorded interviews with Grace Kubikisha, Leelee Ngwenya, Lisa Chilombo Sakala and finally, on my very last day in Zambia, with Samba herself.

We ask the women to describe and reflect for us – from their individual experience and perspective - the life of Zambian women; tell us a bit about their own journey of becoming a professional woman in Zambia. Then we talk about their participation in the wiki women project: what made them join the project; how was their experience of working online; and of working in team with the other participants; anything that surprised them during the workshop; will they continue?

For documentation about WikiWomen Zambia see #HerZambianHistory at: 

https://www.instagram.com/womensmuseumzed/;

https://www.facebook.com/MuseumofWomensHistoryZambia/

[both-sides-of-the-zambezi]

Rosemary Cumanzala talks about women economic empowerment

… did you ever ask yourself about women’s empowerment in the rural areas of Zimbabwe…?

The Women’s organisation Zubo Trust in rural Binga, Zambezi Valley can tell a story or two about the issue.

In this recording from 2015, Rosemary Cumanzala, the director of Zubo Trust can be heard in conversation with African women based in the Germany, Yvonne Chipo Makopa from Zimbabwe, Godsglory Jibril-Ellams from Nigeria and Claudia Wegener, Germany.  At the time they were running a podcast radio project with the Women's Forum of Yes Africa e.V. in Hamm Germany.  

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Listen to Rosemary Cumanzala live from Binga for the most recent updates on Zubo's economic empowerment projects on International Women's Day 8 March 1:30 pm GMT when she will talk with N.N.D. presenter of "the workplace" on Resonance fm London.

“…it’s taboo! I can’t allow my wife to be in the public…”

Zubo Trust began to work with the women of the community in conversational meetings with the husbands, sensitizing the men for women’s issues, that was the aim.

“…but why are the women not speaking…?”

once first steps were done and the women were attending the meetings, Zubo continued gentle inquiring in to the power structures that be…

“…Women Issues are women’s issues! There is no way a man can pretend to be a woman…!”

even the men were coming to this solution, Rosemary tells us in the recordings.

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Today many women in Zubo’s economic empowerment projects are able to stand on their own feet, fend for themselves and their families, Rosemary tells us

“…the women of the Kapenta project are even employers of men…”

“…in some families, women became the breadwinners; the husbands are taking care of the children…”

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The Women of Yes Afrika Women’s Forum, featured their meeting with Rosemary and her story of women empowerment in Binga in a podcast:

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"Zubo Trust brings women together for self-empowerment"

ZUBO Trust is a women economic empowerment organisation partnering with the rural women of Binga in Zimbabwe since 2009.  Zubo Trust has accomplished well-recognized work in organizing the rural women, establishing producer collectives, securing women’s lively-hoods, and boosting women's independence and self-esteem through capacity building trying. One of Zubo’s pioneering initiatives is an all-women fishery project on Kariba Lake. Further projects utilising natural resources include organic agriculture, the production of soap from Jatropha seeds and, the local crafts, especially basket weaving.

Listen to Rosemary's story of women’s empowerment in rural Zimbabwe beautifully remixed in music by artist Sirpa Jokinen in Finland.