Paul Mbewe
Assistant Workshop Manager
Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your role within the company?
My name is Paul Mbewe. I first started working at Tribal Textiles part-time in 2010, after finishing secondary school, and in 2014 I became a full-time member of the team.
I started out in painting, which is something I have always really enjoyed. Today, I am an Assistant Workshop Manager, working alongside Tresor, our Workshop Manager. My role focuses particularly on overseeing the painting department and our recycled glass workshop.
How did you begin working for Tribal Textiles?
Evans helped me get started. He told me there was a vacancy at Tribal, so I went along. I didn't even write an application, I just showed up!
There were about six of us who started together at the time, and out of that original group, I am the only one still working here today.
What can you tell us about Tribal Textiles?
To describe Tribal, I think you have to start with its history. Tribal began in 1991 in the Chitungulu area, and more than 35 years later, it is still going.
We have people from different communities and tribes working together here, including Kunda and Bisa. Over the years, Tribal has also introduced many different forms of creativity. It is no longer just about textiles. We now have recycled glass and work with artisans from around the Luangwa Valley too.
But at the heart of Tribal is still our batik textile workshop, where we make our homeware collections, from napkins and table runners to duvet covers and many other products.
Can you tell us about someone you've particularly enjoyed working with?
When I first started at Tribal, I worked alongside Jeff. Although Jeff left Tribal for a few years, I'm really happy that he has now come back and works as our Dispatch Assistant.
I've always enjoyed working with him. We're a similar age and have known each other for a long time, so it's great to be working together again.
