Meet the seaweed farmers of Zanzibar. These women are pioneers in a profitable industry, which was previously dominated by men. They’ve used their profits to support their community and uplift women and girls in Zanzibar’s society.
Now, that all could change. If they can’t adapt to the very real impacts of climate change, this $8 million industry, and these women’s livelihoods, are at risk.
But these women aren’t giving up.
How these women broke barriers
Seaweed farming began in Zanzibar in the 1980s...
Sam Vox
Growing up with her grandparents on the outskirts of Dar es Salaam, Lisa Michael Jones has witnessed the hardships of Tanzanian farmers. She remembers the time in 2016 when her grandfather invested in a large portion of land to start production of watermelons, just to see the harvest fail and return home empty-handed.
“After that loss, I haven’t seen my grandpa cultivate a large piece of land again. Now he just farms at a small plot close to our house,”...
Zanzibar’s teenage girls are often expected to assist with cooking and housekeeping. But 15-year-old Aisha Bakary had a different idea of how to spend her time. As the oldest of nine siblings, she would find spare moments to turn up the volume on the TV or the radio, listening to lounge, house, afro and traditional taarab music.
Nearly 10 years later, 24-year-old Aisha has made music her career. “There are no women DJs here in Zanzibar, so I thought I...