Maziwa Ngombe up close

Maziwa Ngombe. The name is hard to pronounce. Getting there too takes some patience. The village is accessible through a rough road that is best ridden in a 4x4. From above though, inside the comforts of the plane which we chartered from Unguja to Pemba, Maziwa Ngombe is a big producer of seaweed. The farms are dense and cover hectares of the white sandy tidal flat that gets exposed during low tide.


Maziwa Ngombe seaweed farms, as seen from above



farmers swarming over the reef during lowtide in Maziwa Ngombe



some take the opportunity to plant seaweed, others to harvest



harvest over her head


Seaweed farmers in Tanzania customarily work only during low tide. In high water, work becomes dangerous and boats are necessary. In low tide then which comes when the moon is full, the expansive reef can be traversed on foot and seaweed planting, tending and harvesting can easily be done. The rest of the photos tell the story.


it’s like seaweed fur around her



women of Maziwa Ngombe in colorful traditional kanga attire



women with their seaweed harvest, resting under the shade of the coralline crags



Maziwa Ngombe is dry and barren, with a few baobabs protruding over the flat landscapre



umbrella-like limestone outcrops mushroom over the tidal flat



a woman with her seaweed harvest by the stairs leading to the drying area



wooden boats are used in ferrying the harvested seaweed



typical harvest scene in Maziwa Ngombe



a splashing race