Bridget Mayer visited us recently when she came to see two of her nieces here at Namwianga Christian Secondary School. Bridget, originally from a village near Livingstone, now lives in the US where she and her husband have a business selling African imports. In the photo she is displaying Kuba cloth, a beautiful textile woven from palm leaves and decorated with stitching, beads,and shells. The Mayers' company purchases the Kuba cloth from craftsmen in the Congo.
African wedding baskets are their other specialty. These are made in the Western Province of Zambia. Most of the weavers are refugees from Angola who brought their skill with them when they fled their war-torn homeland. There are now 1200 women in this remote area who support themselves by making baskets. Bridget described the journey that is required to find these workers. The final leg is a six-hour river ride in a dugout canoe!
Bridget still has many ties to southern Zambia. In addition to supporting her nieces and nephews, Bridget sponsors young people from her village who show academic promise. She reports that she currently has 13 who depend on her for their school fees.
The Toka website has a complete description of the African crafts the Mayers have in their line. The African wedding baskets are also sold at Pottery Barn.
1 comment:
What a wonderful story. I looked up pottery barn and the Toka site and have told everyone i know and them some. She is a remarkable person and someone that i would love to know. The people she supports over there are sooooooo very blessed to have her in their lives.God Bless her loving and kind heart. Again, Thank you Linda for sharing such a wonderful story. I have been missing your blog as of late and was wondering how you are. Love and Hugs cj
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