The Journey of a card from Africa
on Camilla Gore (Rwanda), 18/Mar/2012 19:45, 34 days ago
Last week I ventured out to a card making enterprise on the outskirts of Kigali, for the second time, and on this occasion I actually found it! It is in a place so far out of the city that cows graze the grass at the side of the road and trees and flowers abound. Cards from Africa is a social enterprise business set up to provide teens and young adult orphans with skills and a good wage to support their families. When we arrived we were given a tour of the workshop by a young man who worked there. And so what follows is a photographic journey of a card from Africa.Step 1: Make the paper pulp from recycled office paper. This is the messy part!Step 2: Press the pulp into sheets and try to get the moisture out.Step 3. Put the sheets out to dry on a board.Step 4. When the sheets are dry, dye them different colours and leave them to dry in the sun.Step 5: Store the paper carefully until you need it.Step 6: Measure, cut and fold the paper so it is ready for card making.Step 7: Carefully make the cards using scissor and glue. Each worker is responsible for one card design and they have a templete to follow.Step 8. Put the cards out for sale in the shop or send them for distribution to supermarkets and hotel in Rwanda or for selling abroad. This is a belated mother's day card for my mum. Happy mother's day mum! xxx