Zimbabwe International Faire.

I emigrated to the U.S. in 1980, and met Jme, married her, and 14 years later we went back to Zimbabwe for a holiday so I could show her the country I was born and raised in and had told her about for the past 14 years. She loved it. One of the places we went to was the Zimbabwe International Faire in Bulawayo, my home town, and the Faire was a huge fair kind of like the California State Fair in Sacramento, but it draws people from 9 surrounding countries in southern Africa - Zambia, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Malawi, Lesotho, Swaziland (Eswatini), Angola. Also countries north of Southern Africa, like Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, and the Congo. I used to go to to the Faire when the country was called Rhodesia, and it was a big deal back then, and it still is. My mom was still living in Bulawayo, and her husband George and she still owned and operated the largest auction house in Zimbabwe. So when Jme showed an interest in coming back the next year to sell our beads at the Faire, my mom offered to help her with booth supplies (tables, chairs, coverings, and hiring an employee to translate and assist her. Jme was super excited, and went into the Faire office and signed up for the 1994 event. They were really excited too, she was the only American business to display at the Faire, and that for Zimbabwe was a big deal As well.

‘Next year came, and Jme was ready. She had pulled together inexpensive beads and findings, tools, made a catalog to hand out with contact information for customers to order beads after the show was over. It was packed up and shipped to my mom ahead of time and would be waiting for her when they arrived. Jme and her mother Vi would be attending, as I had to stay home and work my corporate job. Bummer!

My mom put them up at her house, and lent them a car to commute to the Faire. And found an employee to work with them, Grace, an Ndebele lady whose brother worked at the auction house of my mom, George Raft and company. She was very sweet, polite, shy, but educated. And could speak English. The first day of set up she arrived early, on time, at the booth to help set up. George and my mom drove in with the table and chairs and unloaded them into the booth. Actually, their auction house employees did the unloading And heavy work. But that’s Africa. Jme took control of the set up, arranged the configuration of the booth, hung the banner - Wildthingsbeads - along with a tie dye backdrop and Amican flag. Of course she and her mom Vi were dressed like hippies, which of course they were. It wasn’t Halloween attire, it was their normal clothing. They blew away the staid, conservative Zimbabwean locals! They had never seen anything like Jme before.

The first thing Jme realized was that she had made a mistake and picked the wrong hall to display in. It was a demonstration only hall, no selling allowed until the last day. So every day was a teaching and demonstration day, where the booth was swamped with ladies from all the countries mentioned, and involving many tribal groups with different languages. Grace couldn’t keep up. Jme and Vi spoke bead. The ladies were excited, interested, some came back every day to learn. Most of the ladies were native, but quite a few were European colonial settlers who wanted to be waited on without the natives next to them. Jme had to be very diplomatic.

By the second day she asked Grace how long it took her to get to work and back home on the bus. Grace said it took her about 45 minutes each way. She lived in a township outside of Bulawayo about 12 miles out side the city limits. Jme said that was ridiculous, she could drop her off after work every night. It would only take her about 15 minutes. Grace was shocked. When it was lunch time, Jme bought Vi and herself a coke to drink, and offered Grace one. Grace asked if the cost would come out of her pay. Jme said no, it’s her treat. Grace was speechless. She drank half the bottle, and took the rest home for her daughter. It turns out coke is a major luxury for the average native. When Jme arrived at Grace’s home she gave her a hug and thanked her for her hard work. All the neighbors were watching, and as Jme drove away she noticed that the neighbors rushed over to Grace. To talk about the Americans.

The ladies coming to learn jewelry making were so funny, according to Jme. They would request that she not teach the other ladies the methods she was teaching them. So that they would have something different than them, so they could not compete. Jme said no, everyone gets the same class. They all knew they had to come back on the last day to buy the beads, but what they were really interested in was the tools. The last day was going to be busy!

One day Jme left the booth to go speak to a banker who had a booth in another hall, and had a very scary run in with Robert Mugabe, the president of Zimbabwe, and his protection detail. All of a sudden a group of camouflaged uniform men carrying automatic uzi rifles sweeping through the room and pushing people against the wall with their guns while Mugabe walked to a booth run by a Pakistani man who was selling his goods before the last day. He closed down the booth and seized all the products. And then he walked out. His guard detail left with him, walking backwards and pointing their weapons at all the vendors, including Jme. As they left, vendors were coming out from under tables where they were hiding. Later, when Jme was at her booth, Mugabe came into her hall and his guard detail did the same thing. I think he just liked the power he could exert over the people.

anyway, finally the last day came, and Jme’s booth was swamped. All the beads and tools were sold. All that was left was the table, chairs, banner and coverings. It was a major success. For about 2 years afterwards we had letters arrive in the mail with orders for beads from the catalog Jme had made. We never went back, the country collapsed economically, my mom and George moved to South Africa and retired. But the fond memories have never faded.