Feature: The untapped potential of crafts creatives in Uganda

Despite these challenges, creatives have been quite resilient through the years. Crafts creatives, for example, have for years exhibited resilience through their ability to pass on a rich varied skillset and design heritage from generation to generation. Upon talking to one, two or even more crafts creatives, one realises that most have had their skills passed onto them by the older generation.

Generational skillset

Rehema Nadunga and Susan Namuyonga have been making crafts for the last six years. They say they learnt the craft making skill from older people such as Mulindwa Mariam, an old woman who, according to them, they had observed for some time.

“I came to learn how to make crafts in 2015. I approached an old lady called Mulindwa Mariam who I had observed for quite some time. At the time, she made quite a number of things including crafts, tailoring of products like clothes among others. I am grateful that she accepted to teach me,” says Nadunga.

Nagawa Hilda, who has also been making crafts for the last five years, says the craft making skills she has today were passed to her by her mother who she had observed since childhood make several African art products including crafts.

“I picked interest in making these kinds of things when I was just eight years of age. I used to watch my mother make crafts and other African art products. So, when I picked interest, she offered to teach,” she said.

Nagawa says she later ended up finding herself being employed in the crafts business years later. She says this wouldn’t have been possible had she not learnt whatever she knows today from her mother.

However, unlike Nagawa, both Nadunga and Namuyonga ventured into the crafts making business with a goal to not only make money, but also give back to society.

“We have been in this kind of business for the last six years. Yes, making money is one of our aims, but we also want to give back to society,” they say.

Nadunga and Namuyonga say they have taught vulnerable old women how to make crafts with an aim of empowering them financially.

The passing on of the crafts making skillset fromm generation to generation is with no doubt one of the sector’s strength. It partly defines the sector as a resilient one despite the ever-increasing challenges.

The sector’s potential, one would say, has been untapped for years. It’s imperative that we delve into its value.

Here is why the crafts business is of value to Uganda

The crafts creative industry has for years played a huge role in shaping the future and diversity of Ugandan cultural identity. Most products made are a representation of a particular Ugandan culture (s). As a result, they have been used as tools for tourism, one of Uganda’s biggest foreign exchange earners.

Nuwa Wamala Nnyanzi, an art enthusiast, writer and socio commentator, says art products like crafts play a big role in creating a cultural identity for Uganda.

“When I am making any form of art, I majorly look at some of the things happening within our communities. I use art bring out issues in society. This is also accompanied by my heritage (Buganda and Bunyoro). It is things like this that make our art products unique thus giving us a unique identity,” he says.

Nnyanzi says its this identity that has played a big role in promoting Uganda’s tourism potential to people outside there.

“Whenever people come to Uganda and visit of stores, they buy our products and move with them to their home countries. I am sure people out there ask them where they get such things from. Uganda’s culture promoted as a result,” he says.

He also says youth have been employed because of their skills as crafts creatives.

“Youth out there have been employed because of the skills they have. This has helped them survive,” he says, adding that Government needs to also support the industry by creating incentives for the industry.