History & BackgroundThe Mumwa Crafts Association MCA was formed in 1994 under the local initiative and self-sponsorship this is an indigenous NGO. Its long-term objective is to improve the standard of living for the local based community, by providing income through crafts production and facilitating self-reliance in community development.
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Western province of Zambia, traditional known as Barotseland, is renowned in Zambia as an area of unique, high quality hand crafts, around one hundred different items are produced, made entirely with local, natural materials, and by traditional method. the majority have utilitarian origins in the traditional social-economy of the Barotse and their subject tribes, retain their utility today. these characteristics are not insignificant given the prevalence in the modern Zambia of non-traditional machine-mounded curios, developed in response to tourist perceptions of what primitive African handicrafts should look like.
Western province is divided into two parts namely the wetland (grassland or the plain) and the upper part (forest). The province has a total area of 126,385 square kms information by the central statistics of Zambia. The grassland has 12,950SQKMs information by the department of water affairs and the forest part with 113,435 sq kms information by the department of forest and natural resources.
The handcrafts work for the province is grouped into two categories:
The Mbunda came to settle in the woodland areas along the eastern edge of the flood plain, oral history has it that the Mbunda entered the domain of the Lozi kingdom from the west in the 1800‘s. they came into two groups under two chiefs who retain today their status as princes, or sub chiefs of the modern Barotse Royal Establishment. The Mbunda brought with them useful wood working and basketry skills, which they adapted from and added to in their new, but similar environment, in time they become major suppliers of paddlers canoes, poles, bowls, and makenge roots baskets to the lozi plains peoples, and received in return fish, meat and grains.
The important feature of pre-colonial Barotseland stemmed from its geographical variance which determine the raw materials available to inhabitants and the kind of materials articles they were mostly able to produce. The outstanding difference was between the flood plains and the surrounding woodlands. In broad terms those living in the former had ready access to grass, rush reads, palm-leafs, gourds clay and cattle hides, skins and bones, and thus easily produced mats, baskets, reeds fences, skin clothing, decoration, ornaments and the like. Those people living in the woodland areas were, for their part, able to produce a host of wooden articles, a wide range of baskets and nets, ropes, made out of sisal, makenge roots baskets, skin blankets, clothing and bags made from wild animals. Among the plain and forest people there was further specialization, based primarily upon the resources most readily and abundantly available.
Western province is divided into two parts namely the wetland (grassland or the plain) and the upper part (forest). The province has a total area of 126,385 square kms information by the central statistics of Zambia. The grassland has 12,950SQKMs information by the department of water affairs and the forest part with 113,435 sq kms information by the department of forest and natural resources.
The handcrafts work for the province is grouped into two categories:
- The Lozi speaking people group is the flood plain dwellers who use the grassland crafts materials
- The Mbunda and Luvale these are the forest region dwellers using the upland crafts materials.
The Mbunda came to settle in the woodland areas along the eastern edge of the flood plain, oral history has it that the Mbunda entered the domain of the Lozi kingdom from the west in the 1800‘s. they came into two groups under two chiefs who retain today their status as princes, or sub chiefs of the modern Barotse Royal Establishment. The Mbunda brought with them useful wood working and basketry skills, which they adapted from and added to in their new, but similar environment, in time they become major suppliers of paddlers canoes, poles, bowls, and makenge roots baskets to the lozi plains peoples, and received in return fish, meat and grains.
The important feature of pre-colonial Barotseland stemmed from its geographical variance which determine the raw materials available to inhabitants and the kind of materials articles they were mostly able to produce. The outstanding difference was between the flood plains and the surrounding woodlands. In broad terms those living in the former had ready access to grass, rush reads, palm-leafs, gourds clay and cattle hides, skins and bones, and thus easily produced mats, baskets, reeds fences, skin clothing, decoration, ornaments and the like. Those people living in the woodland areas were, for their part, able to produce a host of wooden articles, a wide range of baskets and nets, ropes, made out of sisal, makenge roots baskets, skin blankets, clothing and bags made from wild animals. Among the plain and forest people there was further specialization, based primarily upon the resources most readily and abundantly available.
Mission Statement"The mission statement of MCA in Western Province is to enable the community to generate income through crafts and provide high quality traditional crafts and uphold traditional values in support of community development."
Long-term ObjectiveThe long-term objective of the Mumwa Crafts Association is to improve standards of living in local communities by providing income through craft production facilitating self-reliance in community development
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Short Term ObjectivesTo promote crafts of the area by trying to overcome problems hindering the successful marketing of the products and are in habiting the potential productivity of the rural inhabitants.
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Organisational Structure
Mumwa Crafts Association is made up of the following:
- Community Centres
- Board
- Management
Each of these organisational arms have different responsibilities.
The Community Centres
The community centres are made up of a group of villages situated in similar locality and same geographical limit. A committee represents each centre. The members are elected for a period of four years, elections are always held at the end of December. The functions of the community centre includes:
The Board consists of 15 persons elected from the community center and other members from various sectors and their term of office is 4 years. The function of the Board is to:
Is the implementing organ of the policies made by the Board and has responsibility for the day today running of MCA activities. Management meets monthly to review progress of their targeted monthly activities.
The community centres are made up of a group of villages situated in similar locality and same geographical limit. A committee represents each centre. The members are elected for a period of four years, elections are always held at the end of December. The functions of the community centre includes:
- Co-ordinating between the centre members and management.
- Advising the crafts producer on how to improve their quality and do other duties designated to them by the Board or Management.
- Electing the Board at the Annual General Meeting.
The Board consists of 15 persons elected from the community center and other members from various sectors and their term of office is 4 years. The function of the Board is to:
- Policy formulation.
- To monitor, supervise, advise management and perform other duties designated to them by the Annual general meeting.
Is the implementing organ of the policies made by the Board and has responsibility for the day today running of MCA activities. Management meets monthly to review progress of their targeted monthly activities.
Ownership and Legal Status
Mumwa Crafts Association is an organization whose membership consists of the crafts producers and other interested people from other sectors. The main thrust of the association is the production of high quality and marketing of those products locally within Zambia and Abroad. The marketing of these products help producers to earn a modest income. It is hoped that the existence of Mumwa in the Province will not only stimulate the production of crafts but will also help to keep alive the traditional crafts by training local people.
The Association was registered under the Registrar of Societies on 2nd November 1994. The Association has spread to all the sixteen Districts in the Province with a membership of 3,500 thus 1,500 men and 2,000 women. The beneficiaries are the local communities throughout the province as target areas. The target group benefits from the project in various ways, apart from earning income they will be trained to produce first class quality products. They will further benefit by learning more than one skill in various fields. With such a provision of training, interested persons may shift to be trained for a choice of any other stated categories. The Association tries hard to source for market both locally and abroad. This will benefit them by selling their products, thus, increasing their income and raises their standard of living. This then alleviates poverty in communities. And further, the community will benefit in that, all resources shall be conserved and exploited in such a way that the natural resources are not exhausted or destroyed.
The Association was registered under the Registrar of Societies on 2nd November 1994. The Association has spread to all the sixteen Districts in the Province with a membership of 3,500 thus 1,500 men and 2,000 women. The beneficiaries are the local communities throughout the province as target areas. The target group benefits from the project in various ways, apart from earning income they will be trained to produce first class quality products. They will further benefit by learning more than one skill in various fields. With such a provision of training, interested persons may shift to be trained for a choice of any other stated categories. The Association tries hard to source for market both locally and abroad. This will benefit them by selling their products, thus, increasing their income and raises their standard of living. This then alleviates poverty in communities. And further, the community will benefit in that, all resources shall be conserved and exploited in such a way that the natural resources are not exhausted or destroyed.
Cooperating partners
MCA from its' establishment (1994) has worked with various cooperating partners namely the Finland Embassy, Baskets4life Denmark, World Bank, GRZ, British High Commission, Canadian High commission, American Embassy, Royal Danish Embassy, HIVOS, CRAIDS, Matching grant, OSLO Norway, Concern World wide, Africa parks, Zambia Development Agency, Zambia chamber of small and medium Association, Lumwana Mine, IUCN, TEVETA, PROBECK (GTZ) ANTI–Corruption Commission, SNV, DATF, World Vision, Private sector development programme, WWF etc.
Mumwa Crafts AssociationFounded by Kekelwa Mundia
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