Kestoria Kavazi launches its Website of TZ Feminist Archives

An artwork by
'Harakati za Mwanamke
Imara' present at the exhibition
supporting the launch
of Kestoria Kavazi
at SOMA recently

This famous quote ‘‘Until the Lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter” by Elizabeth Shassere. Aptly describes the push that has launched Kestoria Kavazi an online archive of feminist stories from Tanzania, the celebration of which occurred at Soma Book Café grounds in Dar es Salaam earlier in June this year. 

Actors from 'Girl Power' group at SOMA grounds
in DSM performing a play for the Kestoria Kavazi
launch-Photo by Nicholaus Brown

On this Saturday afternoon art accompanied this launch through the lively antics of ‘Girl Power’ an arts group showcasing theatre, dance & traditional music. They entertained us with a small skit accompanied by a traditional ‘ngoma’, where we witnessed a woman narrowly escaping sexual assault. As well a lady in her late twenties being told by her husband not to go to the market ‘dressed like that’, while they had on a loose t-shirt and a pair of trousers. “At least he allows you to go out, personally I am not permitted to leave the house…”Mwamgeni Mohammed actress & dancer responds to Irene (playing the wife forbidden to wear trousers) while she shares her ordeal with friends.

This theatre skit was engaging as the actors were emotionally invested managing to captivate the audience throughout their performance. Afterwards their traditional dance called ‘Chikocha’, a compilation of several traditional dances from the region of Mtwara. Left a satisfying synergy between what Kestoria Kavazi is trying to mainstream and their storytelling. For their performance was a reminder of how East African societies informed and told their stories in the past; stories that mostly amplified both gender perspectives.  

“Patriarchy as the status quo has shaped much of the stories we consume today from what is picked as news worthy to what we learn is history. Noticing this gap we thought to have an archive that documents more stories highlighting the feminine perspectives in our country.” Magdalena Thomas program manager of Kestoria Kavazi added that in executing this project which still invites various storytellers to submit feminist Tanzanian stories for Kestoria Kavazi. 

It was affirmed that there’s a huge gap of well researched & articulated feminist stories from Tanzania particularly online. Like those of notable figures in Tanzania’s history like Bibi Titi Mohammed (Political Activist, heavily involved in the fight for Independence of then Tanganyika), Siti Binti Saad (The first East African singer to make commercial recordings) & Nduna Mkomanile (A soldier in the Maji Maji War) whose story has yet to be recorded. 

The Guest of Honor at the Kestoria Kavazi launch
Mme Rose Marandu Director of Women Fund Tanzania
WFT at the ceremony inside SOMA grounds-
Photo by Nicholaus Brown

Kestoria Kavazi is a project that began three years ago the covid-19 pandemic is what slowed its progress. It’s implementation is a partnership between various gender activist organizations in Tanzania (TGNP, Msichana Initiative, WAJIKI Nafasi Artspace, Wildaf, WLAC, TAWIDO, VICOBA, TIBA, SAJAKI, TUSONGE, LHRC) headed by Soma Book Cafe sponsored by Women Fund Tanzania WFT & African Women’s Development Fund (AWDF)

Before we were ushered to open our smart phones and witness this archive, we were taken to an exhibition at the premises that is still going on till next week. The exhibition has a clever display of household items associated with the feminine by ‘Harakati za Mwanamke Imara’. I still can’t get over this golden coconut on a ‘mbuzi’-the traditional coconut grater from coastal Tanzania. It also has this multimedia piece (photographs & fabric) by Getrude Alex Malizana inquiring on whether marriage/weddings are really the pride of a woman? 

An animation by Gwantwa Lucas an artist from TZ,
in collaboration with Kestoria Kavazi
manifested this animation sharing the story
of a young girl choosing to be a mechanic in Bongo!

I particularly was enamored by the short animation video present at this exhibition by Gwantwa Lucas. It follows the story of a secondary student girl from Tanzania who really wants to be a car mechanic, to the utter dismay of both her parents. Here the dynamics of who are the propellers of patriarchy is well explored as the mother turns out to be a true foe to this young lady’s progress.  Reminding us the responsibility rests with all of us to usher in gender balance.

Gender activist Eluka puts it well, “Unfortunately those with more resources, those with more opportunities get to be able to tell their story, dictating what we believe to be knowledge or information. I believe this archive is trying to shift that narrative acknowledging that we all have a particular something to contribute as everybody’s lived experience should be valued equally.”Eluka Chelu Kibona - Social Development Adviser –Foreign Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).

Magdalena Thomas Project Manager of Kestoria Kavazi
at the launch of this archive in June this year

It was the words of notable Tanzanian author-poet Neema Komba in her poem presented at this launch ‘Lakini sauti yake haisikiki, Na kilio chake cha kwikwi hakimsikitishi’ translating ‘But her voice is not heard, Her hiccup cries don’t evoke sadness’. That really fleshed out the hardest part of ensuring gender balance. For changing a habit takes work and to ensure both genders within our sexes have equal voice is the work of a lifetime. In this Kestoria Kavazi is to be congratulated however they still have plenty of work to do, to ensure their archive is user friendly with enough easily consumable information so one can revisit their site. 

By Caroline Uliwa

n.b. this story was first published in the eastafrican newspaper with this link kestoria kavazi launch