Mission in Lamu, Kenya
From 23th to 31st March, our team, comprising Raffaele Gorjux (Team Leader), Simon Woodward (Cultural Expert), Awadh Salim (Community Engagement and MSME Development Specialist), Giulia Gorjux (Technical Coordinator) and Alice Durì (Project Manager), carried out a field mission in Lamu, Kenya, as part of the “Lamu Creative and Cultural Industries: Technical Assistance for Strategic Framework and Reform” project, implemented by the World Bank under the CreatiFI Programme through the C-JET and F4D trust funds funded by the European Commission.
The mission started with an introductory meeting and valuable inputs from County representatives, including Issa Timamy (County Governor), Aisha Waziri (CECM for Trade & Tourism Lamu County) and Joyce Murimi (Chief Officer in charge of Tourism, Trade and Investment), together with other County officers who supported the team throughout the mission.
Over the course of the week, we visited a wide range of sites and engaged directly with local practitioners. In Lamu Old Town, we explored the main streets and artisan shops, as well as key cultural sites including the museums and the Fort. We also visited Shela, its dunes and settlement, including areas where traditional boat building takes place. In Matondoni, we observed boat repairing activities and met the women’s association engaged in weaving. Travelling along the coast, we also experienced the mangrove ecosystems that characterise the island. Throughout the mission, we had the opportunity to experience the delicious local Swahili cuisine as well.
On 25th March, two dedicated workshops were held. The first brought together local practitioners, including women involved in weaving, woodcarvers, boat builders, craftsmen, poets and artists, to better understand production processes, challenges and aspirations. The second workshop, held in the afternoon, engaged tourism stakeholders, including tour guides, boat captains, hotel managers and other sector operators, to explore linkages between cultural production and tourism.
The mission allowed us to identify key challenges and opportunities for the development of the creative and cultural industries in Lamu, providing a solid basis for the next phases of the work.
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