Скачать или смотреть Zanzibar: Seaweed Center in Paje

Commercial seaweed farming in Zanzibar began in 1989. According to the government, there are over 23,000 seaweed farmers in Zanzibar—about 80% of them are women. Seaweed is the third most productive sector after tourism and cloves, and one of the top exports for the island.

The Seaweed Center in Paje is a social enterprise turned business, which employs 10 women from the local community. The women or “Mamas” as they are lovingly called plant and harvest seaweed and create value-added products such as soaps, body oils and body scrubs.

Seaweed farming has empowered independent farmers—women who catch and dry seaweed to sell to dealers—and the Mamas as well. Culturally it is not often expected that women go into the workforce, so seaweed has allowed them to become independent—to the point where they can in fact pay school fees and build houses.