One Simple Way to Improve Maternal Health

25 Ways to Use a Kidete Kitenge

A kitenge (pronounced, kih-tang-ah) is a daily staple for Tanzanian village women. Typically worn as skirts, headscarves, and baby carriers, kitenges are helpful in a variety of ways. When packing for a trip, I always include a kitenge. They are multi-useful and fit easily in a purse or suitcase. Here are some suggestions for dramatic to sublime kitenge use.

Baby Blanket
Baby Carrier
Skirt
Swimsuit Cover Up
Dress
House Coat
Picnic Blanket
Table Cloth
Pillow
Towel
Sun Shield
Privacy Partition
Casserole Carrier
Hat
Mask
Throw
Head Wrap
Fly Swatter
Emergency Flag
Cape
Apron
Self Defense Tool
Trail Marker
Rope
Philanthropic Increaser of Maternal Health

Each kitenge is hemmed by a member of the Kidete Women’s Co-op (The Ushirika Wa Wanawake Kidete). 100% of sales goes to the women. The women formed the co-op to increase maternal health in their village.

The village of Kidete has no electricty or running water. The co-op meets regularly at the Baptist Church. Needles, thread, and scissors are luxury items that most village women do not posess. For the majority of the co-op participants, the current shipment of kitenges represent their initial encounter with sewing. The first fruits of their hands are powerful. You will find the initials of the woman who hemmed the kitenge on one of its corners.