An intangible heritage of humanity
Produced from the bark of the indigenous Mutuba tree – which is stripped, pounded flat and left to dry in an ancient process that predates weaving – bark cloth has long been used as clothing, currency and to make ritual garments in Uganda and is still the one of the main materials used for coronation attire, hence its royal association.
After working with bark cloth for over ten years, designer Sara Katebalirwe decided the time was ripe to modernise it and bring it back into style. ‘It has a deep cultural history,’ she explains. ‘In 2005, UNESCO proclaimed Ugandan bark cloth a “masterpiece of the oral and intangible heritage of humanity.” Reviving its use can bolster income for Ugandan farmers and provide training for women in the art of accessory design.’
RBCD currently employs close to 60 artisans, many of whom are single mothers striving to provide for their families. Sara feels that Uganda has little design culture and is keen to revert this tendency. ‘The training we provide is designed to help the artisans hand stitch and produce our designs, but we also want to empower them generally to produce higher quality articles.’ The company covers everything from initial design through to labelling and packaging to maintain quality control and ward off copies, which can be a big issue in the market.
Perseverance pays!
Sara has always been passionate about design. After studying administration she spent just one year in the civil service before leaving to set up her first clothing design company. ‘I had one ramshackle electric sewing machine that was always breaking down. My husband kept asking when I would give up, but I never did!’ She educated herself in Western design practices, has forged a partnership with a Dutch design firm that deals with exports and is now the largest company in her field in the country, with functional products that range from handbags to household accessories.
She has even created ‘bark beads’ out of off-cuts to make jewellery and room dividers, saving on wastage and capitalising fully on a material that is viewed as highly original in the West. To protect this heritage and stimulate sustainable, environmentally friendly tree farming, she is striving to mobilise the Ugandan government to create a ‘Geographical Indications’ label to officially certify Uganda bark cloth.
Hard work and conviction
Entrepreneurship is not an easy path and having lost her husband fifteen years ago, Sara knows how hard it can be to pick up the pieces and rebuild a life in the face of preconceptions and prejudice. This difficulty has galvanised her to help other women and she is actively involved in entrepreneurship groups for women in Uganda, where she hopes to stand as an example.
She is therefore particularly thrilled to be participating in the Cartier Women’s Initiative Awards. ‘The idea that you can write a business plan in your village and be selected by a key international business competition is extremely rewarding. When I started out, my friends said that if I worked with bark cloth, I’d be eating grass! Now they keep asking me how I knew it would work so well… I tell them it’s a matter of conviction!’
