When a woman is empowered she manages her environment and develops the society around her, this saying has proved true to the life of MrsVumilia Shaban (47) alias Mama who works as of bed sheets and sofa set veils in Kahama District, Shinyanga region.
She has become famous through the help and encouragement from her husband who is now a retired Criminal Investigation Department Police in the region.
PHOTO: Ms Vumilia Shaban in her chamber embroiding a bed sheet in Kahama district, Shinyanga
Ms Shaban has been doing the business of sewing for more than 30 years, since her talent was discovered.
“I started practicing at home when I was in primary school in Mwanza region just through taking a piece of cloth and decorate it through embroider. At that time I did not know that I have this talent and that one day will make me a different woman in the society and even become the better wife in my family”, she said.
After completing primary school she joined a typist school called Tanganyika College for six months in Mwanza and before working.”I was married to Mr Abdallah Hussein with whom I now have four children, she continued.
PHOTO: Ms Vumilia ambroids in her chamber
Ms Shaban was married in 1983; her husband refused her to work with the reason he could provide all the house needs like food, clothes and everything. At that time Ms Shaban did not have any rejection, thus , she became the house wife.
PHOTO: Ms Vumilia on the left teaching her student how to embroid
Without knowing that she had the talent of embroidery, she found herself doing it at home by using the needle and a piece of cloth. She was doing that every day after finishing the house chores. “Because my husband did not allow me to work outside I was doing my work inside the house after doing the house chores, and most of my completed sets were for sale” she said.
PHOTO: Ms Vumilia near her planted palm trees ready for decorating a ceremony
From there I started getting orders from her house visitors like friends and other neighbor-hood women.” When my friends came into my house and admire my sets they asked me to design the same for them which made me to have some savings,” she explained.
Earlier she thought her husband wouldn’t like what she was doing most of extra time and said, ”later he bought me a sewing machine in order to make my work easier.”
And continued “before the machine I was taking my sets for binding to one of my neighbor whereby the process was very hard to me. But it became easy after easy after my husband bought me the machine.
Since she was not an expert of using a sewing machine she decided to ask the ask the neighbor whom she identified as Mrs Gaudensia James to teach her how to use it; whereby she mastered all the process within two weeks.
After becoming the expert in using the machine, “I created many designs in the way that I didn’t have enough market from the neighborhood, therefore I decided to go out and look for the market. I went to meet leaders in the municipal council of Kahama and submitted my proposal for my designs. I succeeded and that was in 1996”, she explained
She succeeded in getting few women and got orders ‘’I continued that way till I got a chamber at the center of kahama’’, said.
With that work she managed to save more money and opened and an account and later finished the house that she lives with her family ‘’because earlier we were living at the police quarters.’’ And because her husband is now retired she is most assisting with school fees and other home need.
Speaking on the regions they have been living due to the transfer of her husband, Mrs Shaban said that they had been in Arusha, Dar es salaam and then Shinyanga.
‘’Within that ambition I have taught more than 20 women in the different periods at home and even here where I work. What is needed when starting the course is having a needle, thread and one meter piece of cloth. The course takes three month till the student understands clearly and the fee is only 100,00/- per person’’, she explained
Other activities which are done by Ms Shaban in the district include planting palm trees for decorations in wedding ceremonies, public rallies and provide catering services in wedding, graduation ceremonies and birthday cakes.
Ms Shaban lives in Nyansubi street near Machage Bar; and her firstborn works in Congo, the other three are still studying in Dar es Salaam. One in Institute of Finance Management (IFM), the other is in Da es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) and the fourth one is at Filbert Secondary School in Coast region.
Ms Shaban now sells sofa sets veils from 30,000/- to 35,000/- per dozen while in the beginning she was selling the same set for only 5,000/-.
safi xana