Ujamaa Collective – Ageless Innovation at Work

The Ujamaa Collective with roots in the distant past of African culture is bringing economic progress for local African women.

I stood in Ujamaa’s store, surrounded by the products of their hard work, as Executive Director Lakeisha Wolf traced Ujamaa’s history. “Celeta Hickman, local community leader, library assistant, curator, performer, and jewelry maker, began to study Africana to gain insights for community economic empowerment around 2007.”

Planning for a possible casino on the Hill was underway. “There was a lot of strife concerning what was best for the community. Conversations often included the many women who made handmade crafts and the economic opportunity that gave them.”

Ms. Hickman recalled African women’s traditional role in governing the marketplace. The keystone of the marketplace is the Esusu: a rotating credit circle (also called Isusu or Susu in various languages around Nigeria). Members decided who participated and whose turn it was to use the Esusu for their business needs. Trust and mutual support were the foundation of the Esusu. Living up to ujamaa, cooperative economics in Swahili, was very important to the group.

Ms. Hickman started an Esusu for women of the African diaspora in the Hill District and the Ujamaa Collective was born. Members meet bi-weekly, and those who have used the fund pay back into the Esusu. Contributions began at $5 per member, then $10, and are now $20. That level of financial commitment is set to be affordable and still be an effective resource.

“They go beyond just checking in when it’s their turn to use the Esusu funds; they do what they can to ensure each member’s success,” affirmed Ms. Wolf.

Members of the Ujamaa Collective began to hold events, attend activities together, and then started an open air market on Center Avenue on an old basketball court. The next goal was a retail space for selling members’ products, with a longer term goal to establish a production space. They now have a small crafts workspace in their store and office at 1901 Center Avenue in the Hill, and are on their way towards reaching the goal of a production space.

Ujamaa’s mission is “to create spaces, opportunities, networks, education and support for women of African descent to grow as entrepreneurs, artisans, and servant-leaders so that we may ‘lift as we climb’.” The four staff members work in business development, community engagement, and an urban agriculture incubator program. Balancing business and community affairs swings back and forth, but the group is resilient.

“When you’ve been the commodity in the economy, a psychology develops that’s self-defeating. Let’s commit together to do what we have to do despite all the pressures in our lives,” said Ms. Wolf, “We need to value ourselves. It’s difficult to value your own work.” The Collective must overcome barriers resulting from white supremacy and neighborhood disinvestment.

Ujamaa members reach into their history and culture, and community resources to succeed. Facing problems and tasks, Ms. Wolf says, “We always think ‘Shoot! Someone’s done this before!’ when we’re looking for how to do something.” They then use that example as a model for action. On the need to assert their vital place in the economy, Ms. Wolf says, “women are the number one consumer group but we too often undervalue our work.”

Looking to the future, shared sales space, development of worker cooperatives, joint supply purchases, food and catering for many events in the community are priorities.

Ujamaa is beginning an ambitious youth program to teach kids to become designers and makers, how to plan financing and launching their own enterprises, and to work through challenges they may face. A pilot with 8-10 girls is planned for after the end of the school year. Ms. Wolf said they especially want to impart Ujamaa’s approach to the girls: creating shared value for the participants, the community, and the earth that sustains everything.

The pilot will offer new skills, opportunities to use them, a sense of value in their work and find partners. The goal is to develop competent cooperatives, graduate new business people, and give the girls a sense of satisfaction from taking their ideas to fruition.

Looking forward, Ms Wolf declared “anything that can create shared value, we’re going to do!”

http://www.ujamaacollective.org 1901 Center Avenue Pittsburgh 15219.

Ron Gaydos is a consultant in inclusive economic development, entrepreneurship, and organizational strategy. He is a member of the Thomas Merton Center’s New Economy Campaign, and Co-Founder of the Pittsburgh Chamber of Cooperatives. (www.PittsburghChamber.coop)

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