ABOUT US

Seaweed Center Women Today

Smiles wash over the faces of women tending their seaweed beds as easily as the waves roll towards shore in the village of Paje, Zanzibar. Even though their arms and backs strain from the manual labor, as members of the Seaweed Center, the women find strength in the knowledge that they will be fairly compensated. For the first time, for many of them, their efforts have real value.

The determination and pride shared by the women of the Seaweed Center is unmistakable. The opportunity to build a better life for themselves and their families, makes an average workday lasting 10 hours or more easier to bear. Laughter rides lightly on the ocean breeze as bundles of seaweed are hoisted out of the water and onto heads and shoulders. These are the first steps that begin the transformation of seaweed from raw ingredient to finished products.

The vast majority of women who are members of the Seaweed Center Society grew up within shouting distance of where they stand together today. Their life stories are filled with chapters of hardship. Few have received more than an elementary education. Too many to easily count are separated from their husbands by unfortunate circumstances, or if they’ve been treated badly, have personally chosen to make a fresh start in life.