Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 2003. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
 |
San Francisco Examiner - February 11, 2003
Nina Wu, Of The Examiner Staff
Nina Wu: Tell me about the orphanage that you plan to open in Tanzania. Why are you doing this?
Twiga Mbunda: I have lost a brother and his wife to AIDS. I have his children. You can see how broken a family can be because life changes. Kids don't understand.
We're planning to adopt 360 kids who have been affected by AIDS or AIDS-related issues. ... After sitting down with my brother, who's a priest in Tanzania, we figured out we could build the school on the 25 acres we have and that will provide more than an education to these kids. These are innocent children. I think they deserve a chance to be kids.
Q: And when people buy items from your store, will some of the proceeds be going to the nonprofit you started?
A: Fifteen percent I will dedicate to my nonprofit organization. But I have given more than 15 percent over the years. The nonprofit will be called Twiga Cares for You. We just got registered Dec. 27 in Tanzania.
Q: How did you get your start in San Francisco?
A: I worked in the restaurants, at people's homes and in alterations. For four years, I kept these jobs full-time and I saved money for a business that would involve my background.
Q: So your gallery has been here four years now.
A: Now I have fine art. It's a completely different category, price-point-wise and marketing-wise. I think there's so much challenge in fine art and antique art dealing. Sometimes I feel like people don't understand -- and people are very misinformed.
Q: How do you know whether an item is authentic or not?
A: I've been dealing with this a long time and I know the feeling of an antique.
Q: What is the typical day in the life of a village woman in Tanzania?
A: I think women in Africa often work harder than the men. The typical life of a village woman from morning to maybe the time they go to sleep at 8 p.m. is constant work -- either fetching water, farming, taking care of the kids or cooking.
There's no electricity, no running water. Just to have lunch or dinner takes so much work, so many hours because everything takes so long. You really enjoy what's in front of you more than anything. You never take things lightly.
Q: Where does your determination come from?
A: I'm a very strong-willed person. I have worked very hard and earned everything I have. And I think if you believe in yourself more than 100 percent, instead of just looking at the short-term, you have a commitment of a long-term even though things can go up and down. I think you always endure and stand up and do the best you can do every single day.
Q: Tell me about the jewelry you design. What makes it different?
A: I design based on antique beads. I have beads from over 2,000 years. My oldest bead was made between 500 and 700 B.C., from the Roman Empire in Egypt. I've been collecting all these years. I utilize a lot of fancy beads -- these are 17th century trade beads from Milan, Italy, to West Africa. And then I have other beads that I design.
Every time a woman buys a piece of jewelry from me, she feels very satisfied. She stands out in the crowd and that gives me satisfaction, when she wears something I created. You cannot weigh or value it in terms of dollars.
E-mail: nwu@examiner.com
030211
SE030201
Copyright © 2003 - San Francisco Examiner. All rights reserved. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the San Francisco Examiner, Permissions Desk, 110 Fifth Street, P.O. Box 7260, San Franciso, CA 94120.
AEGiS is made possible through unrestricted grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, Elton John AIDS Foundation, John M. Lloyd Foundation, the National Library of Medicine, and donations from users like you. Always watch for outdated information. This article first appeared in 2003. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor.
AEGiS presents published material, reprinted with permission and neither endorses nor opposes any material. All information contained on this website, including information relating to health conditions, products, and treatments, is for informational purposes only. It is often presented in summary or aggregate form. It is not meant to be a substitute for the advice provided by your own physician or other medical professionals. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.
Copyright ©1980, 2003. AEGiS. All materials appearing on AEGiS are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of AEGiS, or the party credited as the provider of the content. .