This is Cocaya.

This is Cocaya. 

She emulates peace and weaves simplicity into all she does.

And all she does encompasses a lot. A lot. A lot.

Since she was a little girl, Cocaya has desired to accomplish many things. Her interests have led her in many different directions until she met a deaf woman on a bus. Only then was her specific path solidified.

Cocaya is Tanzanian and grew up in the Sanya village near Moshi. She struggled to pay for her school fees but had a great heart to help others. Cocaya wondered, how can I help others if I cannot even pay my own school fees? 

She pursued a local college degree in wildlife conservation. During her studies, she came upon another problem. How can she focus on saving wildlife if her own people are suffering?

This is when she met the deaf woman on the bus.

They lived in the same village and became good friends. Cocaya took interest in learning Tanzanian Sign Language and quickly became fluent in it.

Standing next to the marigold plants in her perfectly primed front yard, she recalled how her current local social enterprise called "Shirikisha" started.

"People in the village look down on others if they are deaf. This woman was so special to me and I believe that everyone should have the chance to dream."

The two women grew very close and started learning life skills together including sewing, art, language and gardening.

The force of two grew to a force of many.

Shirikisha was birthed at her mother's home, where several deaf women were sewing articles of clothing and bags for sale.

Shirikisha outgrew her mother's home and moved to a hotel.

Shirikisha outgrew the hotel and they moved into another home.

A beautiful home where they now operate out of. The home is like a secret oasis, as it is not marked on the street.

Cocaya walked down the pathways around her home with flowering plants and African trees neatly placed.

She led us to the back where the shop took place. Several women happily worked behind sewing machines in a room bursting with creativity. There were also two men working in the yard and several men and women working in the kitchen. Most of them are deaf.

A yoga bag and smaller bag I bought from Shirikisha

I used my American Sign Language background to discover similar signs. The alphabet is the same except for the "t". Cocaya bashfully commented, "Do not make the sign 't', as it is a very offensive word in Tanzanian Sign Language".

Cocaya had tears in her eyes when myself and another traveler expressed how amazing she is.

She has made a home for deaf people to grow and thrive in a culture where they would not be accepted.

Visit her website to see the products and other services Shirikisha offers.