The Greatest Collaborative Music Cafe & Boutique for Positive Impact

I always love to hear about new ideas that bring art and people together, and what I love even more is when I know the people involved in making it happen. This particular project is a Collaborative Music Cafe & Boutique for Positive Impact in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. If you have read some of my earlier posts, this place holds a special spot in my heart because of my former travels and volunteer work there. There are lots of organizations in action there because of the volunteers, but this one is something quite different.

This cafe and boutique will be bringing together a couple of the local organizations, APF which supports local arts initiatives in Bagamoyo and naSuma, the local clothing line that I have written about in the past.

"Our vision is to create a collaborative space in Bagamoyo that features all the different expressions of art present in the community from painting to music, tailoring to batik, and carving to cooking. We aim to attract local and foreign clients interested in sharing experiences, relaxing, and learning about Tanzanian culture. The aim of the café is to create a space that is welcoming for tourists to relax or locals to come for work, a meeting, or a cup of coffee with a friend. We hope to host local musicians for concerts and to screen films and documentaries to raise awareness about relevant issues. Clothing created through the naSuma program will be on sale along with hand-made traditional music instruments, carvings, and paintings, all created by local artisans. The proceeds from all of the programs will continue to support the community and the arts through APF’s ongoing programs and women’s empowerment through Inua fund."

This project is not off the ground yet and is still in the crowd funding stages, so they still need some financial help. Bagamoyo is an artistic town with many talented artists and craftsmen. Streets are lined with people selling their work, but there is no central location to celebrate the arts. This project will not only do that but will add a necessary piece to further bring the community and its visitors together.

This is just a snapshot of all of the plans ahead for this initiative. To read more and donate, check out their fundraising page HERE.

I wish Hannah and all involved the best in this project, and I can't wait to write more about the progress in the coming months!