Embroidering Africa (Tanzania, Zanzibar)

In the heart of Stone Town , a group of women embroider around kanga fabrics—textile emblems of Swahili culture. Each piece bears an ujumbe ( message or proverb ), printed on the border, passed down from generation to generation since the 19th century. Born from exchanges between India and the East African coast , kanga have evolved into a form of social, intimate, and political expression. Here, embroidery is a learning experience : we sit in a circle, sharing gestures, patterns, and stories. The act of sewing becomes a place of collective transmission , far beyond the thread.