On one of the days I had spare, a few of my new friends and I decided to go to a little place on the outskirts of town. Shanga River isn't really a museum, it's not really a factory, it's not a rehabilitation centre & it's not really a restaurant. I guess it's a bit of everything.
The Shanga River started when a local jewellery maker asked her boss if the deaf housemaid could help her make some pieces. She trained the girl, saw her skills blossom & realised that this could be a way to help other deaf & mute people, who were previously seen as having very low potential in the workplace.
So the Shanga River factory was born. The team asked for glass bottle donations from local restaurants and quickly the recycled glass was turned into unique accessories... and they've since added art, textiles and homewares. To make extra money to put back into salaries for the deaf/mute craftsmen, they also added a tourist restaurant. It has an all you can eat meat buffet.. African style. Much better than Sizzler, I have to say!
This place is pretty spectacular. The grounds are stunning, set on a luscious garden setting. The workshop area is covered in beautiful eroded glass shards. Seems odd, but it really works. And no, it's not dangerous to walk on. I had some up close and personal run ins with the cutest black faced monkeys. And I ate like a pig. Not a bad way to spend the day, that's for sure!
Yes, the prices aren't as cheap as you find on the backstreets of Arusha, but I bought some things nonetheless. It's going to a good cause, and when something costs about $6USD, you aren't exactly breaking the bank.
