The Mosaic Project

The Mosaic Project was led by Mara Christie and and friends who went to visit the Mumba Children's Project as Volunteers in the Summer of 2016. Mara has been heavily involved with "Family Mosaic" in Southend-on-Sea, and saw the enormous benefits that working on community mosaic projects had on her local community - so in her preparations to visit the Mumba Children's Project Centre in Mpongwe - she volunteered to run a community project at the centre, teaching the women, children and youth the skills of mosaic art as part of the Women's Empowerment through Enterprise.

The project was a huge success and everyone got involved in making a large mosaic to decorate one of the front walls of the newly opened Schoolhouse.... Now over to Mara for more on her thoughts and her involvement with the Mumba Children's Project both in the UK and Mpongwe.

Community Mosaic Project, Led by Mara Christie a volunteer from the UK and HRH Chieftainess Lesa.

Mara and HRH Chieftainess Lesa, at the unveiling of the "Holding Hands Project" Community Mosaic.

One of the Women of Mpongwe who participated in making the Community Mosaic Mural for the school and her friends.

Another of the women who also took part in the making of the community Mosaic.

Rosemary Cunningham working on the Community Mosaic while volunteering at the Mumba Children's Project Centre in Mpongwe.

One of the children with a hand that they made for the community mosaic at the Mumba Children's Project Centre.

The Community Mosaic Project also gave the women both young an old to opportunity to learn and explore using mosaic as a functional decorative art which they can and have gone on to utilise in the Craft-led Women's Enterprise Programme, where the women make thing that are needed for themselves, their families and the community and where surplus goods are sold to supplement their income.

Below the Women participating in Mosaic as a decorative art with volunteers from the UK

Learning mosaic as a Functional Decorative art, with a volunteer from the UK.

Working on making Mosaic Frames for mirrors as part of the Women's Empowerment through Enterprise Programme.

Taking the skill of Mosaic and applying it in a more traditional African form, this lady is decorating a calabash.