Chipata Projects
on A Zambian Experience (Zambia), 02/Feb/2011 10:46, 34 days ago
Besides the work at CDNG, I have been busy supporting Rosie on some of the projects that she has been working on in her‘spare’ time. Rosie will be finishing her placement next week and returning to the UK, but I’m hoping she will be back in a few months time to take up new opportunities in Chipata as well as continue to support some of the projects she’s been working on. She will be really missed.One of the things that’s great about being a VSO volunteer is the opportunity to get involved in many different projects that some of our Zambian friends want our support with. Sometimes, it’s not just about chucking money at the solution of poverty, which is often what we’re unable to do. Many of the ways we try and work in Chipata is to assist the community members to gain access to knowledge, good networks and market opportunities, which will empower them and allow them to mobilise their own communities.A great example of this is Rosie’s work with a group of ladies in one of the most disadvantaged shanty areas of Chipata. She has been able to source sewing machines for them to learn tailoring. Through this they have been able to make bags with local chitenge material which they have sold at a local craft market which has recently been set up in Chipata with the help of some VSO volunteers (see my post on the Kum’mawa craft market!)The plan is for the ladies to teach other women tailoring skills so that they also develop skills which can help them earn money rather than getting in the usual trap of sex work or relying on men for the household income.The ladies say that with money they will have generated from tailoring, they can send their children to school or buy food for their families. They are a great bunch of ladies and here are a couple of the bags that I’ve bought. They have now decided to move into producing curtains and household fabrics! Watch this space!