Crafting community resilience in Zambia: An artisan social enterprise case study

This case study examines the role of Tribal Textiles, a women-owned social enterprise in Mfuwe, Zambia, in fostering community resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. As tourism halted, Tribal Textiles leveraged its resources and capabilities to provide stability and income for artisans in a region with limited resources and social support. Utilizing the community resilience framework by Patel et al. (2017), the study identifies key elements of resilience, including resources, mental outlook, community networks and economic investment that the enterprise applied to maintain operations and support artisans and their families. Findings reveal the importance of adaptability, creativity and innovation, in highlighting how Tribal Textiles sustained livelihoods and offered hope and agency for artisans, especially women. This research adds to the understanding of how social enterprises contribute to resilience in resource-scarce contexts and underscores the unique role craft enterprises play in community well-being.