From trash to art: A Congolese refugee woman's creative journey and resilience

In the busy city of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, Emma* wakes up each day with a mission to turn discarded scraps into beautiful decorations and teach her daughter that creativity is a powerful source of income and a form of survival.

Emma, a 50-year-old refugee woman, was born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and forced to flee with her only daughter at three years old to Tanzania for safety in 2015.

Most mornings at the break of dawn, she heads from the outskirts of Dar es Salaam where she lives into the heart of the city to sell a few homemade accessories such as earrings and bangles transformed from waste.

“Most people see garbage when they look at plastic bottles, corn husks, shells, but I see an opportunity,” she said. Every day, Emma collects these raw materials from construction sites to beaches, and transforms them into beautiful and worthy items.

Her passion for art and creativity began at an early age, where she sketched flowers and dolls on paper. “My parents did not recognize my talent, but I did,” she added. She nurtured her talent by learning from nature, observing colours, and the work of other Congolese and Tanzanian artists in person and online.

Her daughter, on the other hand, is excited when she makes beautiful pieces. “My daughter is amazed at how beautiful everything looks, and sometimes she gives me ideas, and we work together,” she said. She has taken this opportunity to impart the knowledge to her daughter so it can be beneficial in the future.

Emma is excited that she receives interest in her artwork. “I normally post on my WhatsApp, and people will inquire about details aside from selling on the streets,” she explains. The open market is competitive, especially when she goes to exhibition days, but “everyone has their own uniqueness and adds something special, even if we’re doing the same thing,” she adds.

Speaking of challenges, Emma is concerned that she cannot always afford to buy professional glue and tools to make her work stand out. “People want clean products, and I struggle to meet that standard,” she laments.

“UNHCR supports refugees by helping them build on their existing skills and showcase their talents through exhibitions where and when possible. This fosters resilience and promotes self-reliance for refugees in the country of asylum and when they can eventually return home safely,” says Rana Milhem, Senior Protection Officer with UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in Tanzania.

Emma has a dream of opening a beautiful shop for her items. “I want everyone to be mesmerized when they walk into my shop,” she muses. Emma believes she will achieve her dream, and her work is recognized across borders.

UNHCR continues to urgently appeal for donor support to sustain life-saving refugee operations in Tanzania, so refugees like Emma can live dignified lives in displacement and dream of better futures. Only 14 percent of the required funding has been received so far for the refugee response in Tanzania.