Foibe has been working with WomenCraft for over six years in various capacities. She is now 26 years young and the mother of three children. She grew up in a rural village in the remote northwest of Tanzania, where gender roles are still very traditional. Foibe was taught to weave baskets by her mother at a young age:
“As a little child, I always wanted to learn to weave just like my mother. So I would spend hours sitting with her every day, studying her technique and memorizing her designs. When I finally tried it myself, it came to me quite naturally.”
With her interest and skills in weaving, Foibe joined WomenCraft in 2014, because she wanted to be part of the enterprise to empower local women through their weaving. She started her work as a cleaner and also helped to prepare meals for WomenCraft staff. Foibe quickly proved herself as a hard-working staff member and soon learned about various aspects of the business. In 2015, Foibe was promoted and became WomenCraft’s Production Coordinator.
Image below: Foibe giving a training in quality control with WomenCraft lead artisans
Today, Foibe oversees all production and quality control processes of WomenCraft. In this crucial role, she is responsible for the timely production of orders from customers worldwide. Foibe now supervises 29 artisan groups with a total of 604 women artisans. She was also responsible for supporting the establishment of weaving groups in the Mtendeli refugee camp and the training of refugee artisans in WomenCraft products and designs.
Image below: Foibe with refugee artisans in the Mtendeli refugee camp
Foibe is extremely proud to have come this far. She faced many hurdles along the way but always managed to overcome them herself.
“I am very proud of myself for having worked so hard to overcome many challenges. I am grateful to be able to have an important role with WomenCraft and to be able to support my family and all our artisans to improve their and their families’ livelihoods with their weaving.”
Image below: Foibe (right) with artisans in the Mtendeli refugee camp and with Kara (left), WomenCrafts US-based sales manager.
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