In this part of Uganda, residents used to hunt elephants for food. Owing to dwindling herds and stronger conservation efforts, tribes that have traditionally hunted meat must follow the laws of animal conservation. And find other ways to survive.
The women of Kikorongo, a settlement right on the equator, have come together to come up with other ways to make a living – and they have returned to their ancestral crafts. Many of them are widows who are the sole support of the family.
Using banana and palm leaves, they make diminutive handwoven, sustainable coiled baskets with geometric designs, and using the rich soil of Uguanda, they create small dark earthenware pots with lids.
These are the women who also supply our shopping bags in the Obakki store, made sustainably, using elephant dung. We admire the courage, strength, and ingenuity of these women. And the beauty of their crafts.