Ongoing  Projects

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KEEP THEM SINGERS SINGING

“Keep them Singers Singing” is the name of our latest project in Tanzania, funded by the Welsh Government’s Wales in Africa Grant Scheme, administered by WCVA, and also the Peter Stebbings Memorial Charity. The project is summed up by this picture of trainees from Singu Tailors in Kiabakari, who share this old Singer machine, and together use it for over 8 hours every day.

The project has already trained 8 local “fundis” (expert mechanics) to help tailors maintain the machines we have sent them. The fundis are already at work, repairing broken and worn out machines which really do suffer from the dusty conditions in this part of Tanzania. This helps the women tailors to continue working, rather than having to wait for a mechanic to repair their machine.

#KTSS   #KeepThemSingersSinging

Help fund this project, Little or Large – Everything helps !

We have recently sent 154 machines to Tanzania; the container arrived in Mwanza in February 2020. These machines have now been distributed to tailors groups in three different regions of Tanzania.

We still need plenty more sewing machines. Please contact us if you have a machine to donate – we may be able to collect

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SUPPORTING RURAL CLUSTERS

We are working with SIDO to deliver practical training, business support and access to affordable tools and equipment to all the artisan groups within the two rural villages of Kiabakiri and Namagondo.

SIDO is our long-standing partner in Tanzania: the Small Industries Development Organisation
The two villages have been selected jointly by ourselves and SIDO. They both have around 10,000 population, primary and secondary schools, and each has around 20 working groups with no previous support from us.

Help fund this project, Little or Large – Everything helps !

The groups have now been assessed for practical assistance and training needs, and tool kits and sewing machines have been received. Training has taken place, and we are looking forward to a re-assessment of the artisan situation in the villages next January.

FAIR TRADE TOOLS

We are buying a range of tools from some of  the blacksmiths we have previously supported.

The aims of this project are: to raise the profile in Wales and the capacity of the Blacksmiths in Tanzania, to raise the income and standards of living of the selected blacksmiths groups and their families, to raise the standards of production and marketing of the blacksmiths groups, to secure a regular supply of Greenwood tools for TFSR Cymru to sell in Wales, and to educate the people of Wales about the lives and problems of rural TZ artisans.

Thirteen groups have been selected from three areas: around Shinyanga, Geita and Bukoba towns.  The range of tools made for us in the past has been increased to include different  types of wood carving adze, hand forks and trowels, side axes, root lifters, goat bells and leather sheaths for draw knives, adzes and billhooks – & new crook knives.

Help fund this project, Little or Large – Everything helps !

Among the other benefits of the project are the improved skills and the quality of the blacksmiths’ products, the good price paid for the tools, plus a bonus to benefit the group and their dependents, a new web site for us with an online shop to sell the tools, and a far greater range of tools available for green woodworkers and community woodland groups in Wales.

Our Fair Trade Tools Project is supported by the Welsh  Government.

So far we have been unable to register our tools as Fairtrade as there is no category for tools.  We do not comply with BAFTS (the British Association of Fair Trade Shops) as they require 70% of a member’s income to come for Fair Trade and the bulk of our income comes from selling donated tools.

But we do comply with the World Fair Trade Organisation’s  “Ten principles of Fair Trade”  so we believe they are truly Fair Trade.