Palm Crosses are used in churches of all denominations for Palm Sunday services.

The Palm crosses are made in eight villages in the Masasi area of southern Tanzania,these being Mpeta, Namikunda, Mlundelunde, Mumbaka, Machombei, Chivirikiti, Makanyama and Marika.

African Palm crosses are made from Dwarf Palms Hyphaena Coriacea which grow wild and are not cultivated.

The film shows villagers cutting the palms in an area near Mbangara where they grow wild, They are then dried and cut into strips before being transported back to the villages, by bicycle or on foot. They are then woven into Palm Crosses and taken to a central collection point which at present is in Mpeta.



where the palm crosses are made

where the palm crosses are made

As they are handmade size tends to vary from 15 to 25cm in length

The Palm crosses are then taken by road to the nearest port either Mtawra or Dar es Salaam, where they are loaded into containers for shipment to the UK and USA