The Women's History Museum of Zambia, in partnership with the Kasaka River Lodge launched a series of curated workshops that focused on transmitting cultural and indigenous knowledge through arts, academia and technology for women.
The aim of the workshops is to create a framework of understanding of our cultural and indigenous fields and to provide the women with skills, knowledge, and mentorship to enhance their careers and personal growth that is not normally taught is current learned environments.
The museum's co-founders, who have a wealth of experience and expertise in Zambia's history and culture, share their insights and perspectives with the women alongside the workshop facilitators, and encourage them to explore and celebrate their own heritage and identity.
Location
The workshops take place at Kasaka River Lodge which is located in the Chiawa Game Management Area bordering the Lower Zambezi National Park. The Lodge offers a fantastic riverside location on the banks of the Zambezi River, directly across from the Mana Pools in Zimbabwe. Choosing the location is deliberate. We want to take the process of learning back to the rural land where learning was done through ritual and initiation and we are testing the space of indigenous learning and what the tools, language and space was used for teaching and learning.
Workshop Structure
The workshops usually consist of a group of 12 female participants who are selected following a call for applications that is shared on the Museum’s social pages.
The workshops have a 4 day duration with each day broken up into a series of sessions, field trips and exercises.
Past Workshops
April 2023: Women in Photography
Facilitator: Richard I'Anson
https://www.richardianson.com/
Description: Richard l’Anson holds a Master of Photography and is a documentary travel photographer who has worked in this field over the past 36 years in more than 90 countries and on all seven continents. The workshop aimed to enhance the women’s skills in photography and address some knowledge gaps identified by the participants themselves. The natural landscape was used as a perfect canvas to capture and tell stories of indigenous landscapes.
Link to article by participants: https://www.discoverzambia.co.zm/post/framing-her-lens-empowering-women-through-photography-at-kasaka-river-lodge
June 2023: Women in Travel writing
Facilitator: Mazuba Kapambwe-Mizzi
Description: The women in travel writing workshop focused on equipping women in the travel industry with the skills to craft compelling travel articles and effectively pitch their stories to publications. Participants had the unique opportunity to learn from industry luminaries such as Fiona Carruthers, Tony Wheeler, and Zambia's own Discover Zambia Duo, Dorothy Walker and Chilalo Mumba. The writing focused on local narratives of the social and natural landscape and layered new perspectives of understanding on how to travel write that is outside the usual touristic lens.
This cohort was facilitated by Mazuba Kapambwe-Mizzi, who is not only a travel writer but also holds extensive knowledge of African Art. Mazuba holds a Masters degree in African Studies from the University of Albany.
Link to article by participant: https://www.africanawoman.com/post/zambian-travel-writers-in-lower-zambezi
August 2023: Women in History
Facilitator: Dr Francis B. Musonda
Description: The group was led by the University of Zambia’s Associate Professor of Archaeology, Dr. Francis B. Musonda. The workshop aimed to provide an opportunity for women studying or working in history to explore an undocumented site in the Lower Zambezi and conduct a preliminary survey in the identified site to ascertain whether there was a need to undertake an excavation at a later date.
October 2023: Women Creatives in Technology
Facilitators: Multiple
Sandi Chimpala (Tech Trends Zambia) - LinkedIn: https://zm.linkedin.com/in/sandichimpala Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/sandichimpala Tech Trends: https://www.techtrends.co.zm/
Liseli "Lady Light" Akayombokwa - https://linktr.ee/Lady_Light_Lsk
LRDMND - https://knownorigin.io/lrdmnd
Uzi Chinyonga - https://www.linkedin.com/in/uzi-chinyonga/
Sampa Suzie – BICOS https://www.facebook.com/BICOSZM?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Description: In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and the arts, the intersection of creativity and innovation offers endless possibilities on how to manage cultural heritage. The "Women Creatives in Tech" workshop aimed to provide women artists with the knowledge, tools, and inspiration to harness the potential of Web 3.0 technology in their artistic and cultural expression endeavours. This immersive workshop empowered participants to leverage decentralised platforms, blockchain, and interactive digital experiences to amplify their artistic expression and create impactful works in the digital age.
For those interested in learning more about this transformative initiative, please contact Ms. Kondwani Vwalika, Cultural and Projects Coordinator at kgvwalika@gmail.com or hello@whmzambia.org