Shanga Shangaa

Shanga=beads

2 weeks ago, a few of us took a morning to go to a coffee farm. Instead of learning about coffee and drinking the magnificent black, we learned about a great organization that started here in Arusha. 

Shanga was started by a woman who grew up here in Tanzania and started making necklaces out of her son's toy marbles. She showed them to some friends and then it hit off from there. She decided she needed someone to help her get work done. She met a girl who was deaf and mute and found out if she could do work. The girl agreed and Shanga started.

Shanga Shangaa is not a NGO or non profit and does not receive any money from the government. They are a business just like any other except their goal is to give disabled Africans a better life. Handicapped people in Africa are killed at birth/childhood, left on the street to die, cast out of their family, or sit all day on the street corner asking for money. So check them out online! 

what they use to melt the glass

one of their creations: glass bottles melted together to create walls

making a dolphin

one of the goodies they make

Shanga teaches their employees who are deaf or mute sign language (African not ASL). One of the men who was making glass beads and shapes came over to teach us some of the basics in Swahili Sign Language.

Lex, Morgan, and Whitney trying

 The motto of their business:

Shanga will soon be adding blown glass to their list of handmade goods. I am very excited about this because it will help raise their profits immensely.

After visiting the work area, we were able to sit down in their beautiful covered area that looked like they were ready to host a wedding reception. There was a full buffet that was delicious! Including a desert tray and beautiful roses as the centerpiece for our table. The service was great and added to the atmosphere immensely. Their grounds would be a beautiful place to host a wedding.

After going back with my parents for Carey's birthday, walked down the street to go to lunch, we were able to walk through a cofee plantation. Here are the coffee plants. My understanding is that the cofee bean is inside the green shell. The beans are opened and then roasted. I could be wrong, we are still wanting to go to a coffee plantation.

 Also, I had the joy of spending an afternoon with our dinner cook's kids. They are adorable children who loved to color. The oldest drew a picture of the movie star, Mr. Bean. He thought it was HILARIOUS that my dad's name is also Mr. Bean. How ironic.

our centerpiece for lunch