I FOUND MY INNER SELF THROUGH MY WORK OF ARTS ~ STORIES BEHIND OUR SUCCESS

Stories Behind Our Success linked up with Emmanuel Raphael Ibrahim aka Ripe Swaheel he is the Founder and Creative Director of _LWIGI a clothing brand, Ripe Swaheel is a Poet, Designer, Male Model and a Fine Artist. His a Finalist at The University of Dodoma where by his pursuing his Bachelor’s in Fine Arts and Design. Ripe Swaheel was one among the Designers that participated in the Swahili Fashion week 21.

EMMANUEL AKA RIPE SWAHEEL at the Swahili Fashion week

SBOS: Hello Emmanuel, Thank you for joining us today, how are you?

Ripe Swaheel: Am fine thank you.

SBOS: First could you please tell us how your experience was at the Swahili fashion week as we all know it’s quite a rare opportunity to be a part of it?

Ripe Swaheel: Well frankly it was a bit hard but it was a nice experience I wanted a chance to show what am capable of, to challenge myself with competent Designers to gain new skills, knowledge and exposure as well. When the chance was brought to my table I took it to heart and jumped for it, I decided to never say never.

SBOS: Why do you call yourself Ripe Swaheel and why did you name your brand LWIGI?

Ripe Swaheel: Ripe is a short form of four combined names which are Raphael [My Grandpa], Ibrahim [My Dad], Praxeda [My Mom] and Emmanuel [My Name] Swaheel came from an Idea of wanting to represent my country or origin something that I can stand for as a Tanzanian i could not use the word Swahili as it is because a lot of institutions use the word Swahili so I decided to be different but the word still sounds the same. At first I had a hard time in choosing a name for my brand but then I thought of big famous clothing brands like Gucci, Vitelli, Valentino, Dior, Channel, Bottega Venetta and so on, these brands names are people’s names and they are original language. I could have come with an English name or Swahili or any other language but I went deep to my tribal language [JITA]. LWIGI means a door, [its from my grandpa's name on my mothers side] and it’s the name I was given as a tribal/ clan name. It is custom for all children to be named after someone in our tribe. I hated the name growing up because we would make fun of each other’s tribal name and we preferred these English names mostly since childhood until now I've succeeded on a lot of things and my path has been different in one way or the other and it’s like this name has been my lucky charm. Every door I knock opens so I concluded that LWIGI would be my brands name.

SBOS: So what made you start your clothing brand?

Ripe Swaheel: Growing up I used to wear anything that suited me I was clueless when it came to fashion. I mean I could wear a grey long sleeved shirt, folding the sleeves a half and a big second hand denim trouser and a pair of multiple colored snickers. I knew nothing about color matching and after completing my secondary education I had a temporary job and had a smart phone too. Through using my smartphone I got exposed to fashion. I started admiring how people wore differently, slowly I started developing an Interest in fashion. My Friends and people who were close started noticing some changes and gave me compliments that made me feel good. Then I went to High school it was a boarding school. In High school I customized my school uniforms I went a bit extra from everyone else, I became an Icon at school this increased my passion.

LWIGI

My Interest in Art led me to what am studying today. Fashion is one of the courses that am pursuing and this is my Favorite subject, I did Modeling in my freshman and sophomore as days went by I realized that was just a tiny part of me, I believe I can do more than what am pursuing at the moment for instance I can become the President but am just a Regional Administrative Officer at the moment I believe I can do a lot of big things as long as that I have myself by my side.

SBOS: Emmanuel when did you start composing poems and realized that you good at composing them?

Ripe Swaheel: It all started in High school I fell in Love with this girl but she was a foreigner, she left Tanzania and went back to her Mother land and that meant what we had, had to end though we had hopes that we would be get back together again someday but it was hopeless. Her being gone made me stress a lot, I did not talk about it to anyone and that hurt me so much. I started jotting down what I felt, I wrote stories through this process I found parts of myself that I did not know about I slowly shifted to poetry then I started composing poems about friends, family and so on. People liked my poems and they still do, they encouraged me to compose more poems and complimented me too till to date. Am not a talkative person I preferably talk more through using a pen and paper .I find it so hard to open up and share my thoughts or what am feeling. Whenever I feel like I want to share something or open up I just write down whatever am feeling, through writing I connect with patterns that direct me to my inner self.

SBOS: What Challenge have you experience in Poetry and Fashion?

Ripe Swaheel: Challenges cannot be escaped since I opened up a clothing brand which requires sufficient capital this acts as my first challenge I have a lot of Ideas that I want them to become real but I do not have enough capital to achieve all that since I can’t afford somethings but this does not hold me back from trying to get them so I buy and use things that I can afford I hope and believe that my ideas will become real. I am a patient person so even when I try and fail I do not give up easily. It’s not always easy and probably it won’t be but I know it won’t be forever. There is saying that goes by “IF IT RAINS NOW IT DOESN’T MEAN THE STORM WILL BE FOREVER”. So change can occur anytime it may be from me or someone that I do not expect to bring changes to my life.

Pressure this is a real diseases because you get so agitated seeing people who are in the same age as you succeeding with rainbows and all sorts of kind but then you feel stuck, also you aim high but get the opposite of what you are aiming this questions you a lot and at times you can’t get answers to this questions. If you are not focused and determined you will eventually lose your way up because you will question your self-esteem and worth too. At times I get disappointed at myself like am not enough nor vulnerable. I don’t have enough skills and knowledge in some things this acts as a challenge too also I procrastinate a lot too. I’d say there a lot of challenges or struggles that I pass through.

SBOS: How do you cope with all this struggles, how do you overcome them?

Ripe Swaheel: Well as I mentioned earlier about troubles that I face in my life. I overcome them through examining myself and molding parts of myself that I find are Intriguing, I accept what have at the moment I believe I will get more in the future, I pray to GOD for help in things that I don’t understand and cannot achieve, I educate myself in various things, I ask for help in things I cannot do, As I said I examine myself in my wrongs and make efforts not to repeat the same patterns, I also learn from my mistakes and correct them, I think and rethink in whatever plans I make or have.

SBOS: How would you encourage someone out there facing something that he/she finds it hard to control, accept and move onto?

Ripe Swaheel: What’s happening to you today is probably happening to somebody else somewhere, everything that you are going through, know that you are not alone and you are not the first person to pass through all that it’s normal and very very normal and it’s okay too. The world does not spin around you, you are just one among 7 billion people in planet Earth You are not the center of attention and never try to be one. Never fight towards perfection, looking right and being good towards everyone. Just be you, Love the real you, the flawed you and the weird you that other people do not accept. You cannot be everything at once even when you die your name will be written on your gravestone and the time you lived the rest will be forgotten. Nobody knows better than yourself so don’t let people make you live the life that they want you to live, live your own life and be your own story. Accept and be Accountable for your wrongs, Apologize when you are wrong, Allow yourself to love and to be loved, Do not hold grudges, Have fun, Make memories, Try try and try again. If you fall 99 times don’t be afraid to fall for the 100^th time. There is no limit in achieving things remember the story of “Grandma Moses” above all pray GOD is real and amazing.

SBOS: Thank you so much Emmanuel for your encouraging words I hope someone out there takes them to heart as I did, also thank you so much for joining us.

Ripe Swaheel: You are welcome.