Uzi Island

Uzi Island

Unguja Ukuu → the tidal causeway → Uzi & Ng'ambwa 2016 64 photos

A one-day cultural expedition on 18 October 2016 — out from Unguja Ukuu, across the coral-rag causeway that only exists at low tide, and into the village life of Uzi Island: charcoal sacks and ox-carts, seaweed drying between houses, a welcome sign painted on sea-turtle shells, a beehive in the hollow of an ancient baobab, and a village school full to the last bench. The tide came in behind us, and the day ended the only way it could — going home by boat through the mangrove channel.

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Morning in Unguja Ukuu — children by a coral-stone house A hut thatched to the ground in makuti palm fronds Coral-stone house under a tin roof, Unguja Ukuu The tidal channel beside the Uzi causeway, still holding the morning tide The causeway to Uzi at low tide — coral rag and mud between walls of mangrove Sacks of charcoal waiting for a buyer beside the track A red clay pit cut into the island's coral soil A zebu tethered in deep shade at the village edge A hand-built wooden ox-cart resting under the trees Harvested seaweed spread to dry between the houses Houses behind a woven palm-frond fence, Uzi village A quiet lane through the heart of Uzi village Stone-walled enclosure on the village green A footpath disappearing into the banana groves Wattle-and-daub house beneath a woven thatch roof Inside a village shop — the day's goods under a tarpaulin roof 'Welcome Uzi Island — Sea Turtle (Kasa)' painted across turtle carapaces A sea-turtle carapace hung on the sanctuary fence A hand of green bananas ripening on the plant Uzi's main street — thatch, tin and unhurried business A narrow lane between coral-stone walls A villager at the door of a house with a rust-red roof Boys in the charcoal yard Children turning the lane into a playground Shade and sand — a lane between the houses Two boys, one entirely overcome by giggles A doorway open to the midday light A banana plant leaning over the red-earth lane Mud-brick house drying to the colour of the road Three children sharing a tractor tyre for a reading nook A shaded work shelter in a village yard Children beside the woven palm fence An ancient baobab on the edge of the village The island's great baobab — a person for scale Looking up inside the hollow baobab — a beehive box mounted in its heart The hollowed trunk of the old baobab, open like a doorway The school ground, ringed with half-buried tyres The edge of the school ground under a big sky The village school — concrete block and blue steel An empty classroom, walls washed in blue Schoolgirls in white hijabs and blue uniforms at their bench Schoolboys lined along the classroom wall Four schoolgirls, composed and curious The teacher at his desk as the class looks on The schoolyard, its paths marked out in white stones Pupils along the school veranda Blue and white — the school filling its veranda A classroom full to the last bench Mid-lesson, all eyes forward Faces turned to the visitors at the door Pupils crowding the light of the classroom windows The shore path along the tide flats The long sandy track back toward the crossing Palms doubled in a tidal pool as the water returns A ngalawa outrigger canoe drawn up with its nets Weathered mangrove stumps on the open shore A dugout canoe waiting on the tidal sand Bow of the boat over deep blue water — the tide is in Outrigger up, underway on the high-tide crossing Our boatman on the crossing home The bow pointed into the lowering sun Standing at the bow into the gold light — the tide carried us home The mangrove canopy closing overhead, in black and white Green water in the mangrove channel on the way out