You have probably walked past the Mama Afrika Kulcha Shap on Leyton High Road many times, but did you know about its Sunday market?
One of the longer-running stores in the area, and founded in 1996 by the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist movement, Mama Afrika was set up to promote Afrikan culture by selling designer wear, books, paintings, prints, postcards, beauty products and jewellery.
“The objective is to educate our community about the beauty of our culture,” says manager Omowale Kwaw, in the above short film. “What we want to instil in our people is to invest in themselves and their community, and in creativity.”
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With that in mind, the team host a range of events and classes such as Imani-Day (Saturday) School and a market called Kulcha Village on Sundays to help people who have “beautiful products to sell,” he says, but no permanent shop.
So why not watch the video – which showcases a range of their products as well as the interview with Omowale Kwaw – and then pop by to get details on what’s coming up next?
Find Mama Afrika at 282 High Road E10 5PW. Follow them on Facebook for updates on events and classes, or call 020 8539 2154
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