Page 48 - Msingi Afrika Magazine Issue 3

ISSUE THREE | NOV/DEC

her mother, she says, “It was one him, triggering thoughts about how other side and they wanted to help
of those things where one thing else he could use the plot and how me.” Things were beginning to turn
leads to another, so diabetic ulcer much he could potentially make around for Bella. “It’s not complete;
leads to blood pressure, leads to from it after seeing the structure. we do something on it every day.
heart condition. It was so bad that He now told Bella that she would My friends come by and also offer
my mother, I think at one time need to increase the amount she to do things for me, like to paint a
died and then woke up again.” was paying him to an amount that wall.” She enjoyed so much favor
Her mother’s leg ended up having was beyond her. It just wasn’t during her reconstruction; a friend
to be amputated at the knee. going to be possible for her. told her that it was a result of all the
“We had to seek the intervention She tried negotiating with him to seeds she had sown in people’s
of a plastic surgeon to help my convince him to continue as per lives over time.
daughter’s hand,” she says. It was their original terms, but he wasn’t “So we built; I put a photo studio
difficult on them financially and budging. Deeply disappointed here and that’s what we were
the whole experience was such a and heartbroken she had to bring focusing on because it brings
weight emotionally as well. “I saw the structure down and had to let in some money. Then one day
God use people to assist in ways go of the location. my camera died. Now I have a
I cannot describe, my mother was studio and no camera!” she says,
discharged on time, all bills paid, Out of options and money, her laughing. She continues, “There
and my daughter’s hand is not dreams crushed, Bella stored was a mosaic I was working on, to
fully healed but she is gaining use all her recovered metal building replace a painting I had sold from
of her hand again.” materials, in the compound of their my house and I had hung it in the
Because of that season, her art house took her children and went studio. Then a guy came to the
was put on hold for a time. Once to her mother’s house to regroup. studio one day and asked to buy
things settled again, Bella was low it. He said he had a gallery in Kilifi
on cash but full of determination to But God had been up to something and he wanted pieces like the one
continue and to find a space where in the midst of all this. When she I had. I didn’t want to sell it, so I
she could finally be able to give came back to Mombasa, God gave him a price that was intended
voice to every possible aspect of moved and her friend (and former to discourage him and make him
artistic creativity for herself and for landlord) checked in with her to find go away. And he said, “okay!” “
others. out what was going on. His brother
owned an empty plot of land just
That day came, in 2018, when a walking distance from the one
Bella found what she hoped would where she had constructed her On Faith “I pray
be a home for her future studio, in first studio, it had been vacant for this story will
Bamburi area of Mombasa. She a while. Her friend told her, “I’ll talk
negotiated a rate with the landlord to him; I’ll get you that land.” And prove that God is
and slowly by slowly started to he did. Not only did he do that but
build up the place. She would earn his brother cleared all outstanding real. Do not limit
a little money here and there and debts connected to the property God, dare Him by
save up and then put something and gave it to her at a price and
on the site. With the support of her terms reasonable enough for her pursuing what seems
husband, she gradually converted to afford.
the site from a swampy piece of And so, in October, 2018, Bella’s impossible...”
ground, to something stable, and dream of having a studio was back
taking the pieces of scrap metal on track! She says, “I think God Surprised, Bella sold her first
that she and her husband had is the One Who pulled me out of mosaic artwork, she added to

painstakingly gathered over time, that land and brought me here. her savings and this allowed
put up the structure that would It’s bigger, we’ve been able to her to replace her camera, but it
house her studio. put more here. I have seen God also started her on a new and
here. My workers came and put unexpected path. In April this year,
It was a labor of love and she up the structure for me using the when MyTribeisArt were holding
must have done a really good job materials that we had used on the the “Safari ya Sanaa” (journey of
of it, but something unexpected previous structure, my neighbor art) exhibition at Alliance Française
happened. The landlord who she across runs a hardware store in Nyali, Mombasa, she was called
had been negotiating with turned and told me just pick what you upon to prepare some mosaics, so
up one day when the structure had need and pay me slowly, we’re she gathered her team and they
finally gone up. It seems a little neighbors. I think people here just sat together and created. One
spark of an idea had gone off inside saw what I went through on the of the pieces she made called,
48 HEALING - RESTORING - REBIRTHING - AFRICA