College of Humanities (COHU)

Traditional Glass-Bead Making Using Recycled Glass in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Ms Safina S. Kimbokota and Dr. Dominicus Makukula

Abstract 

The Indian Ocean coastline of present-day Tanzania has a long history of making and using beads (Rødland, 2022), which subsequently spread to the hinterland. The origins of bead-making and use among people in Tanzania are linked to the socioeconomic development of simple manufacturing technologies, sociocultural intermingling, an increase in population due to migration, and a socioeconomic boom due to long-distance trade that flourished in the 19th century. Archaeological findings at Kilwa unveil an assortment of beads made out of terracotta, shell discs, carnelian, crystal, and agate, in addition to gemstones such as red quartz beads and one chlorite-schist disc (Mann, 2013). The variety of these materials of beads suggests a multiplicity of origins of beads in East Africa. The diverse beads found on the East African coast generally and in Kilwa specifically link the beading practices in Tanzania to North Africa and Europe, engendered by the Trans-Saharan traders from Central and West Africa (Mann, 2013). Until the 1900s, East Africans, particularly Tanzanians in many parts, were no strangers to bead-making and use. Recently, most ethnic groups have used beads as adornments, spiritual amulets, and political regalia, hence their valuable status as goods for barter trade (Rødland, 2022). Bead-making is an ancient craft in Tanzania. Findings in Kilwa and Manda, among the oldest archaeological sites excavated for beads on Tanzania's mainland, show that glass bead-making activities date back to the ninth century, with more vivid examples of the enterprise unearthed in the thirteenth century (Mann, 2013). Since then, beads have been traditionally made by a technique renowned as “winding.” The technique involves drawing a heated glob of glass out of the kiln and winding it around an iron rod to obtain a preferred size and shape. This method is easy and economical. However, the winding method presents several challenges that hinder its users from making effective glassware, particularly bead producers. Despite the rich social-cultural heritage that beads have engendered over the years among a multiplicity of Tanzanian cultures and women in particular, there has been no action-based research conducted to facilitate the local production process of these beads to sustain such traditional processes. This current project is, therefore, intended to add and improve glass bead production through the winding technique using recycled glasses found around our environment. In the current action research, our focus is on how to improve the involvement of chemical processes for efficient beading, improve the duration for loading, reduce defects, and increase glass strengths, quality, and production volume. Upon completion, the current research will develop an improved traditional glass production model to enable more young artists and aspirants to engage in glass bead production as entrepreneurs. 

Keywords: bead-making, recycled glass, beads, social-economic, traditional process, winding, adornment, kiln, heritage.

Rødland, H. Crafting Swahili Beads: Exploring a New Glass Bead Assemblage from Northern Zanzibar, Tanzania. Afr Archaeol Rev (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-022-09475-9

Mann, R. KENYA PAST & PRESENT 2000: The History of Beads in East Africa, Sabinet Gateway, https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.10520/AJA02578301_458 

Wood, M. (2015). Divergent patterns in Indian Ocean trade to East Africa and Southern Africa between the 7th and 17th centuries CE: The glass beads evidence. Afriques, https://doi.org/10.4000/afriques.1782

Abstract

Title: Recycled Textile Waste: Creative Solutions for a Sustainable Tanzania
Authors: Ms. Safina Kimbokota, Mr. Philip Shora, and Mr. Eric Papian.

Textile waste is becoming an increasingly serious environmental and social issue in Tanzania. From second-hand clothing “Mitumba” to industrial fabric scraps and fast fashion off-cuts, vast amounts of textile materials, particularly synthetic fibers, are discarded daily, ending up in landfills or informal dumpsites. These abandoned textiles not only contribute to environmental deterioration by polluting water supplies, air, and soil, but they also pose health hazards, particularly in urban areas and the outskirts with limited waste management infrastructure. According to Akpor, B. et al. (2011), the discharge of untreated or inadequately treated wastewater from industries often causes pollution or harmful effects on the environment and human health, including undesirable changes to the ecosystem. According to Nasredin, A. (2008), the chemical contamination of textiles can be a health risk for the mill's workers, consumers, and the environment as well. 

From 3rd February to 14th February 2025, three experts from the Department of Creative Arts at the University of Dar es Salaam organized a free recycled textile workshop entitled Recycled Textile Waste: Creative Solution for a Sustainable Tanzania. This project investigates how creative recycling, particularly through textile art and community engagement, can offer sustainable, inclusive, and economically viable solutions. The workshop targets textile artisans men, and women-led entrepreneurs in Dar es Salaam and surrounding areas to collect, sort, and creatively repurpose textile waste. These discarded materials were then used to design artistic pieces. The creative process is guided by three core principles: sustainability, cultural relevance, and scalability. Emphasis is placed on storytelling through fabric—using remnants of personal, cultural, and commercial histories to communicate narratives of resilience, resourcefulness, and ecological responsibility.

By combining art, research, and community participation, this initiative demonstrates how creative practices can be a powerful tool in rethinking waste. The project further contributes to the discourse on green growth and inclusive innovation by offering scalable models for small-scale textile recycling businesses that are environmentally and socially empowering.

In line with Tanzania’s National Environmental Policy and the Sustainable Development Goals (particularly SDGs 12, 13, and 8), this project calls for more awareness, education, and investment in sustainable creative industries. It concludes that recycling textile waste through artistic innovation is not just a response to pollution—it is a pathway toward a greener, more inclusive Tanzanian future.

Conclusion

This project proves that artistic recycling of textile waste can serve as a model for sustainable development in Tanzania. By blending traditional textile techniques with digital tools and community engagement, creative reuse becomes a method for environmental protection, economic empowerment, and cultural expression. Scaling such initiatives could contribute significantly to Tanzania's goals on climate resilience, waste reduction, and inclusive green growth. The findings advocate for further integration of the arts in national climate and innovation strategies.

6. References

1. Akpor, B. et al (2011). Environmental and public health implications of wastewater quality. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 10(13).
2. Yhdego, M. (1995). Environmental pollution management for Tanzania: towards pollution prevention. Vol. 3, Elsevier Science Ltd Great Britain.
3. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). (2021). Sustainability and Textiles: Emerging Trends in Textile Waste Management.
4. Tanzania National Environmental Policy. (2021). Ministry of Environment and Union Matters.
5. Ellen MacArthur Foundation. (2020). Circular Economy in Textiles: Vision for a Sustainable Fashion Industry.
6. Textile Reuse and International Development (TRID). (2022). Mitumba Markets and the African Textile Crisis.
7. McDonough, W., & Braungart, M. (2002). Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things. North Point Press.