In her Sawaba Fellowship project, Celine Apollon reflects on the marketplace not simply as a site of trade, but as a living space of cultural innovation, creativity, and resurrection. Bringing together ten Congolese women market vendors in Madibou over a shared meal, the gathering opened space for conversations about the challenges women face, while also nurturing collective imagination rooted in ancestral knowledge.
Out of this exchange emerged a new blend of tangawis and bissap, a recipe born from collaboration, memory, and experimentation — showing how everyday market spaces can become fertile ground for preserving and reimagining Congolese culture. The women emphasized the need for more time and space within marketplaces to innovate, create new products, and ensure both their livelihoods and ideas continue to thrive.
Check out the full piece to explore how feminist organizing, creativity, and cultural memory come together in unexpected places. Download and read; Innovation From Our Roots | 2025 Sawaba Fellowship Project