Since 1985, Tintsaba Crafts has run a rural development project in the Northern Hhohho region of Swaziland to produce and market quality crafts. The primary material used is the sisal weed found in the outlying hills and woven very finely, then dyed with German eco-friendly dyes, thereby making Tintsaba’s products 100% sustainable.
Tintsaba provides income to over 600 Swazi women. Tintsaba is not only committed to economic empowerment, but also to the health and education of their crafters children. The crafters are divided into several different groups according to the village they live in. Each group has a group leader, a trainer and a HIV educator. Swaziland now has the highest HIV rate in the world with around 40% of it’s citizens HIV positive.
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One of our favorite groups we met with are the KwaXolo Beaders, located in the rural village of KwaXolo, in Zululand. This group consists of 18 women, most of whom are the primary bread winners for their family. They bead a variety of items, from necklaces to walking sticks.
Like the Loving Hands beaders, KwaXolo beaders also sustain a community garden, so that they are not devasted by the global spike in food prices. Our hosts were representatives from, Khumbulani Crafts, a non-profit organization, whose mission is " to contribute towards poverty alleviation in rural communities through the production, marketing and sale of traditional and contemporary craft."
Learn More at http://www.khumbulani.co.za/
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