An Introduction To Our Producers

Ilala Weavers

Ilala Weavers are situated at Hluhluwe within the province of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. The organization was established some 30 years ago with a clear vision and objective in mind of revitalizing and enhancing the age-old Zulu tradition of handcrafts, which unfortunately at the time were in danger of being lost forever.

Today, Ilala Weavers help over 2000 Zulu people, both men and women, to attain self sufficiency. By working from their homes and therefore retaining their lifestyle and their rich heritage of basket weaving and beadwork, they can pass down their skills as Zulu crafters to younger Zulu generations, who today produce stunning works of art, sought after the world over.

Murenga Arts And Crafts

In Zimbabwe even the simplest task is complex with hyperinflation and fuel rationing. Yet craftspeople in and around the capital city of Harare manage to produce colorful tin animals and insects out of recycled tin cans, oil drums, steel wire and beads. This type of art is often referred to as 'slum art' as the artisans work independently in their homes which are often located in the slums. An independent artisan, Dominic Mushati, co-ordinates the work and ensures that Fair Trade practices and payments are made so the artisans can improve their living conditions and to help provide stability for their children's future.

As well as co-ordinating and paying other artisans, Dominic carves wooden wall art. He was taught the carving skills of the Ndebele people in Matabeleland as a child. Dominic is however Shona and grew up in Mashonaland.

Esther Kariuki

Esther Kariuki is an independent artisan who, in her area of Kenya, near Kitui, has organized and trained women in her village to use the dried fibre of the banana plant, which would normally be discarded. The banana fibre is first dried and then a light varnish is applied. Once this process is complete, craftspeople cut the fibre into thin strips to make several different items including boxes, Bao Bab trees and mobiles. The varnish on the banana fibre with its many tones of brown resembles textured tortoise shell.

Esther ensures the craftspeople are paid a fair wage for their goods, which has enabled many in her small village to earn a sustainable wage.

Kathero Farm

Kathero farm is just about 10 miles north of the Equator in the Great Rift Valley. It was a forest many years ago where people cut down trees for fuel such as firewood and charcoal.

The new owners of the farm saved the brown olive (olea africana) stumps of trees that were cut down decades earlier and taught the local herdsmen how to carve bowls and spoons from the aged wood. No two bowls are alike. Every bowl is made according to the grain in the wood. The only power tool they use is a chain saw used to cut the tree stump into workable sized pieces. After that, the carvers use machetes, chisels and other home made tools, some made from old harrow disks. The bowls are finished with broken glass bottles and sand paper and are then dipped in liquid paraffin, which protects the beauty of this exceptional wood.

There is no carving workshop on Kathero farm. The herdsman fashions his work whilst watching his sheep and cattle in the field.

Temak Recycled Tin

Kisumu is a small town on the banks of Lake Victoria, a five hour bus journey along pothole-abundant tarmac from Nairobi, Kenya. Many of the craftspeople here earn a living from working with scrap tin, much of it from sheets of misprinted bottle caps and tin cans. The craftspeople purchase much of the scrap from the local bottling company. Occasionally, you can find the circular stamps of Fanta, Coke and Tusker bottle caps.

Tinsmithing is in itself an art - all of the items are made without the use of solder and without the aid of electrical tools. The craftsperson cuts, bend, and coerces the tin into geometric boxes with the precision of a machine but with the beauty of an artisan.

Once crafted, some items are painted with a high-gloss paint and decorated with colourful designs, whilst others keep their original tin characteristics. Beer cans are cut into insect shapes for children’s mobiles; painted rectangles of sheets of misprinted bottles caps are painted and used in the decoration of magnets and greeting cards; recycled tin ‘off-cuts’ are used to produce unique and imaginative bookmarks, as well as into spice tins.

The amount of scrap tin available seems dwarved by the ideas of what can be produced from it.