Projects
We are a Crickhowell-based non-profit charity dedicated to supporting artisans in rural Tanzania.
Ongoing Projects
Keep them Singers Singing
Keep Them Singers Singing was the name of one of our earlier projects. It focused on extending the lifespan and use of the many Singer sewing machines we send to Tanzania — a great example of the meaningful impact our work can have.
The project is best illustrated by this photo of trainees from Singu Tailors in Kiabakari, who share a single old Singer sewing machine and keep it running for more than eight hours each day.
As part of the project, we trained eight local fundis (expert mechanics) to support tailors by maintaining the machines we provide. These fundis are now actively repairing broken and worn-out machines, which often struggle in the harsh, dusty conditions of this part of Tanzania. Thanks to their work, women tailors are able to continue earning a living without long delays waiting for repairs.
In total, we donated 154 sewing machines to Tanzania through this project. From Mwanza, they were distributed to tailors’ groups across three regions of the country.
We always need more sewing machines. Please contact us if you have a machine to donate – we may be able to collect – contact@tfsrcymru.org.uk
SUPPORTING RURAL COMMUNITIES
In recent years, we have developed a strong partnership with Kalwande Vocational Training College. From the start, we realised that simply donating tools and sewing machines was not enough—without proper training, the impact would always be limited. Training is essential.
Over the past two years, we have helped transform a derelict shell of a building into a fully equipped sewing machine workshop. We also funded the construction of a brand-new workshop, built entirely by local tradesmen.
At the college, we work closely with Workaid, an organisation that shares our values and priorities. Together, we have been able to extend our reach and multiply our impact.
The Training Centre, near Mwanza in the Lake Zone, offers a wide range of formal vocational courses, including tailoring and design, carpentry, building construction, electrical installation, motor mechanics, and metalwork/welding.
The Kalwande programme now operates across five regions of the Lake Zone—Mwanza, Geita, Shinyanga, Simiyu, and Mara—covering an area of around 50,000 square miles (roughly the size of England). Its focus is on reaching remote rural communities where the need is greatest. Each year, Kalwande delivers intensive training to at least 120 artisan groups and vocational training organisations, while also supplying them with tools and equipment.
Fairly Traded Goods / Circular Economy
We source a wide range of tools from blacksmiths in Tanzania, many of whom we have supported over the years. These tools are often crafted from recycled materials, such as leaf springs from old vehicles. Among the most popular items are draw knives, highly valued by woodworkers.
This initiative not only strengthens the skills and livelihoods of Tanzanian blacksmiths but also raises awareness of our work in Wales. It improves incomes and living standards for blacksmith groups and their families, enhances production and marketing practices, and ensures a steady supply of quality greenwood tools for TFSR Cymru to sell in Wales. It also provides an opportunity to share with people in Wales the challenges faced by rural artisans in Tanzania.
The range of tools produced includes wood-carving adzes, hand forks, trowels, side axes, root lifters, goat bells, draw knives, billhooks, and crook knives.
Additional benefits include skills development, higher product quality, and fair payment for the blacksmiths’ work—supporting both the makers and their dependents. It also widens the variety of tools available to green woodworkers and community woodland groups in Wales.
Although we cannot formally register our tools as Fairtrade—since no such category currently exists—and we do not meet BAFTS (British Association of Fair Trade Shops) requirements (as most of our income comes from donated tools rather than Fair Trade products), we do follow the World Fair Trade Organisation’s Ten Principles of Fair Trade. For this reason, we believe our tools are genuinely Fair Trade.
Support us
Help fund our projects, little or large – everything helps !
By supporting projects like this, you will be helping to transform the lives of hard-working and resourceful people who currently lack even the most basic tools and training. We are a non-profit charity, largely self-funded and run mainly by volunteers. We have no salaried directors or fundraisers, so every donation goes directly towards sustaining our vital work in Tanzania.