On May 2nd, we are joined by postdoc at the Department of Anthropology Samwel Moses Ntapanta for another CEH TALK.

In this presentation, Samwel will introduce us to his work on the life of objects and people's lives with things in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, exploring the figure of the "Fundi" and local consumer attitudes that do not simply revolve around practices of consumption but considerations, infrastructures, and acts of care, repair, and maintanence (full abstract below).

The talk is based on a chapter in Samwel's forthcoming book, Gathering Electronic Waste: Life and Labour at the Downstream of Techno Capitalism, which will be published later this year by Lexington Books.

The event is free to attend and open to all. No registration necessary.

We hope to see a lot of you there!

Abstract
Billboards advertising fundi, meaning a person skilled in making, repairing, or maintaining things, are on every corner of Dar es Salaam. A Fundi is always available to tinker with anything. These acts of repair or finding a fundi do not only appear when things break down. Repair is considered a part of an object’s life and people's life with an object. As a result, people choose certain products, relying on particular infrastructures and the availability of repair before breakdowns happen. What can we learn from repairing in Dar es Salaam? This paper focuses on consumers' attitudes and acts of care and repair in Tanzania. The paper pays attention to these acts that are central in thinking about circular economy and resistance towards techno-capitalism.