FahariZanzibar

Fahari Zanzibar is a Social Enterprise and women's cooperative making high quality bags, jewellery and accessories on the island of Zanzibar. All of Fahari’s products are handmade using local materials with expert workmanship - taking inspiration from the cultural melting-pot of African, Arabian & Indian influences borne out of years of trading across the Indian Ocean.

FAHARI was started by Julie Lawrence, internationally renowned designer, and offers free training to Zanzibaris in handcrafts. Its purpose is to provide a sustainable livelihood, primarily to women and vulnerable groups, through training in the design and production of quality craft products leading to sales and income. The entire production is managed – from design and manufacture, to administration and marketing – in Zanzibar with training given in each of these areas, to ensure the project is sustainable. With the guidance of Fahari’s Director, products are adapted to suit tourist tastes whilst maintaining local craft traditions and the highest international standards of manufacture.

Fahari addresses constraints such as lack of specialized skills, lack of knowledge of market trends, as well as financial management, and lack of access to the tourist market. Through the development of basic design, business and technical skills in craft production, women who had no access to income earning now benefit not only themselves but also their families and communities. Fahari aims at giving skills that are not just valuable in manufacturing but will also empower women more broadly in community development, social interaction, confidence, reading, writing, English speaking and basic mathematics. FAHARI in Kiswahili means ‘pride’ which ultimately encapsulates the theme of the organisation.

All Fahari’s products are made to international standards of both design and manufacture but produced entirely from Tanzanian materials to benefit the local economy . Bags and accessories are skillfully created from local hand dyed and plaited palm leaf, colourful African kitenges and safari tenting canvas combined with local leathers. Jewellery is beautifully hand-crafted from locally farmed Zanzibar oyster shell or local cow horn, which is hand polished, carved and combined with precious metals and Tanzanian gemstones.

54 women from 6 groups around the island have already received free training and their lives and that of their families have radically improved. Out of the women initially trained, 14 have been promoted and are in Fahari full time, learning new skills as a move up from their technical training - design, production management, pricing and costing, book keeping. They, in turn, will now be involved in the training of 20 new students from the disabled sector, and later on the training of youth graduating from SOS village orphanage. In this way, they will also become mentors and inspire newcomers, grow in self-confidence themselves and eventually be able to run the organization.

Apart from enrolling additional trainees, Fahari’s future plans include buying more advanced tools and machinery needed to offer training in new skills, and enable the manufacture of new products as well as much needed additional hand tools and materials to facilitate further teaching; as well as improving the workshop and retail space, which is already open at 62 Kenyatta Street Road, at the heart of Stone Town UNESCO heritage centre. The open workshop provides an exciting atmosphere in which tourists will want to spend time, observing and discussing the work with the producers, and buying directly from them.