Harare Confidential: Mustard Seed Africa

Harare Confidential: Mustard Seed Africa: If you are looking for some gifts for friends and family, I found the perfect shop selling various African inspired items...Mustard Seed Af...

Mustard Seed Africa

If you are looking for some gifts for friends and family, I found the perfect shop selling various African inspired items...Mustard Seed Africa. Mustard Seed Africa is an organization with operations in Zimbabwe and Swaziland that focuses on social and economic empowerment initiatives for women at the grassroots level.  They partner with women groups to identify possible means of earning an income. They engage in consultation involving an assessment of skills and the resources available locally. From there collaboration takes place with business advisors and designers to develop products and solutions that are holistic and sustainable. The handmade products are African by inspiration and contemporary in design.  It’s worthwhile to pay them a visit…a number items caught my eye as you will see below!!! 

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Place Mats & Stylish Storage

Clutch Bags

Bowls

Orange Print Dress

Green, Orange & Blue Print Dress

Harare Confidential: Tana Africa

Harare Confidential: Tana Africa: I  recently met a local designer called Tana who designs bags and jewellery made from leather and crocodile skins.  In the process, I agree...

Tana Africa

I  recently met a local designer called Tana who designs bags and jewellery made from leather and crocodile skins.  In the process, I agreed to do a bit of modelling for her(See a few pics below!!!).  Tana is named after the 'Tana' which is a river in Kenya where her father used to hunt crocodiles. Tana has always been in  the fashion industry, she started by working in knits, then moved on to working with leather. Currently she has shops in Harare and one in Lusaka. Being African she needed to find a medium that is distinctively African and for her real game skin leather speaks of the wild and nature which is her first love. She is captured by the uniqueness of these leathers and she believes that ostrich and crocodile leathers are sustainable choices. 

Tana’s leather workshop and home are on a game farm just outside Harare. It is a family run business and they live for the protection and conservation of animals and our national heritage. She works with a small team of people, each specializing in their own area but also needing to be comfortable with doing  it all  from  floor sweeping, designing, pattern making, mechanics , sales, accounts and game capture. Having to juggle so many roles keeps everyone on their toes and makes for diverse work. The team is very supportive and  she finds that  it's a marvel to work with so much talent. Her inspiration comes from her environment and the animals. Her designs are the result of her  enchantment with the African silhouette, which has  a zen and dramatic majesty for her. She believes that ‘It's not hard to be motivated by what surrounds us, what we  do is a lifestyle choice and like everything it has its challenges, but we are driven by what we do and we love the combination of beauty and usefulness. We are delighted to be a part of giving people a piece of the charm , wealth and wonder of our Africa.’

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Day Trip To Antwerp

Having spent a exactly one week in Brussels ....I decided it was time to visit a nearby city called Antwerp. Antwerp is Belgium's second city and biggest port. While Brussels is mainly under French influence....Antwerp is under Dutch influence. It was a cold rainy day...like many of my days in Brussels so far... but nonetheless undeterred by weather I ventured out...I arrived in Antwerp after about 40 minutes.  Along the streets I saw  a lot of members of the Orthodox church dressed in black.... I also found out that Antwerp is famous for diamonds.. I guess they did not mention that during my history lessons. I was prepared to visit historical buildings and museums, however... the bad weather was unfortunately persistent..lots of wind and rain, making sight seeing very difficult if not almost impossible.... so I ended up at another Exki cafe... I found this one more to my taste....very cute and cozy on two floors.....while there i met a young lady from Burundi who was having coffee there. We chatted briefly watching the street...I will return there again in better weather and explore the city next time...

Parc Du Cinquantenaire and Merode

Almost everyday I had a french conversation lesson with a tutor that I found online, Emmanuel.  It was decided that since besides improving my spoken french my other reason for visiting Brussels was to see as much of the city as I could. So it was agreed that Emmanuel and I would meet at a different place for each lesson wherever possible. For one of my lessons he proposed that we go to Merode, since I did not know my way around,he met me and walked with me   me across the Parc du Cinquantenaire which  is a large public urban park, which was build to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Belgium's independence.  the park is very beautiful lovely benches, trees, ponds and pathways.  i could imagine that in summer it must be a great place to be...but still even as it was it  lovely. After a longish walk we arrived at Merode and I chose to have my lesson at Carpe Diem....I thought it was a fitting choice...it was a cute cosy cafe..

Harare Confidential: Coffee in Exki Cafe In Brussels....

Harare Confidential: Coffee in Exki Cafe In Brussels....: I arrived in Brussels over the weekend...after the ongoing heatwave in Zimbabwe..I must confess that I have found much relief in the cooler ...