Womencraft is a project which involves women along the Tanzanian and Burundain borders to earn their own money by making woven baskets and mats. The baskets and other craftware are marketed internationally and the women earn some of their own money. As a project this has greatly helped women whose husbands had taken their money for spending on drink. A useful website will enable you to find out more about this charity. Edmund visited the HQ and also spent the day out in the villages with the marketing team who run regularly round the various teams in remote villages. Edmund goes to work

Edmund enjoys visiting new people and places. Where is he today?

This is Womencraft. The women are at work. What are they doing? These are the women who live in Murgwanza and who work at the office itself – most work out in their own villages.

The Womencraft ladies make things to sell. What can you see?

What could you use this for?

These are decorations for Christmas trees – made for the western market.

Once a week the van goes to collect the craftwork and pay the women.

This is the first stop. The building has been erected and paid for by grants from aid agencies and provides a meeting place for the community, a workplace for the women if weather is not good and a meeting point for collecting craft products and selling the materials the women need for manufacturing the basketware.

Some groups work outside. Can you see one of the women examining a mat very carefully – the basketware has to reach a certain standard or it cannot be accepted. It is important that standards are high. Measurements and patterns have to be consistent.

This group all wear blue shirts to show they work together. On to another group working in the centre of their village. Their work building is half –complete but until then they tend to work outside. You can see the driver putting a completed bag of produce in the land rover.

Mums often bring their babies to work.

The women sell their goods to buy food and pay school fees for their children. Paying the women is important. The organisation believes women will ensure the money benefits the family.

Womencraft export the women’s products all over the world.

Edmund chose this item and several other things to buy. Look at the next slide too. A basket ware Christmas tree – about 10cm tall.

who do you think they are for? What has be bought and who do you think they are for? And lots of Christmas angels!

You can find out more about Womencraft from their website. Find out more about the background to this project and how it relates to the local church diocese: http://www.kageradiocese.info/kagera/index.php/poverty-alleviation/womencraft www.womencraft.org/