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ECO
AFRICA ARTISAN'S REPORTS Eco Africa project has come as a relief to hundreds of women and unemployed youths in our dormitory town situated near the capital city of Zimbabwe - Harare. The town has a population of over one million people whose life depends on the informal sector and government for employment opportunities because it does not have major industry. Due to sharp rise in population there is nothing to offer as new employment opportunities to the people, which has resulted in many people joining the wagon of unemployment, so Eco Africa's project has come as a remedy to this potentially explosive situation. The
project is basically centered on women who through our traditional
norms do not have equal opportunities, but now they have been
offered a chance and they are now able to look after themselves
and their children. The project has also helped hundreds of
young and old artists who have talent but the talent did not
have much exposure. The project managed to harness the youth
vigor, which before Eco Africa was wasted as they find themselves
with no employment opportunities at the prime of their age,
hence some ended up joining violent and anti-social behavior.
Some were used as part of political goals which led to their
self destruction. Some did not even know that their talents
and hands can actually give them a living. The project so far
had managed to achieve the following goals: Through
Eco Africa we have managed to start a number of new satellite
art projects in both rural and urban areas and we are fighting
hard to train the youth and women on how to run their business
well. Leaders of these projects are set to benefit entrepreneurship
lessons which will help them to run their ventures profitably.
These lessons will be basically centered on why entrepreneurship
and cooperatives have failed in Zimbabwe, so they will act as
solutions to the constraints of growth- oriented enterprises
for example: As
the project is growing we are planning to combine the following
programmes together - poverty reduction, socio-political development,
environment protection and fighting HIV/AIDS. I hope the project
is going to live for ever as the people now bank their hopes
on the initiative. Please allow me to end this massage by taking
a quote from the Holy bible from Prophet Jeremiah Chapter 29
Verse 11, he says "For I knew the plans I have for you,
declares the lord. Plans not to harm you, plans to give you
hope", so I hope God has the same plan for Eco Africa and
all the stake holders who are behind its successes. If the project
grows more and more are going to benefit thereby improving people's
standards of living.
Watching the hands of the women working magically on the twine, tassels, wires and the botanicals my heart leapt with joy. It was, or may I say it is a dream which has come true. After all these years our people had been waiting, starving and some even dieing of hunger. Ladies cried day and night wondering what to give their children. Night would fall come morning it becomes a burden on mothers how their children would spend a day, meaning they were wondering what to give them because there will be no food for them to offer their children. In some families having a proper meal would bring back memories of a special festival Christmas. Rice and meat especially chicken would make children jubilate. "What can we give them, poor as we are?" Some ladies would ask themselves day and night. Watching them crying your heart would sink with pity. True it is very true that these were the days of suffering and people were dieing. Some children did not have chances of going to school because their parents would not afford to send them to school. It led to inhuman behaviors so that the mothers would be able to send their children to school. Yes it was not the only way out to bring up children yet facing death that is dieing from HIV/AIDS. Children would go around begging for food, it was really a stub at the heart to look at these women and their children. It is very true when one talks of an African mother being a lady who is very strong and caring. These are some of the observations I made in our town which is a small town in Zimbabwe which consists of about 1 000 000 people. Eco Africa came like manna in a silver plate to the people in our town." Work without experience and qualifications?" the ladies wondered. It all sounded like a joke which people can not take in. Being introduced to the hand work the joke and the dreams of the people became real. With happy smiles they queued up to get a job. Moreover excitement also came when free lunch was introduced. People did not know nice kits are made out of these beautiful grasses that grow all around them. Miraculously the seeds we thought were useless now make very specials beads which are used for tassels. Little did we know that fibers would make special twine? What I have as well observed about Eco Africa as then executive secretary is that it is very true to say that carrying a burden together makes it a bit lighter or it really makes it work on well. Because as you watch tassels, beads and papers being made it brings tears to one's eyes because it is all is successfully done and it all comes because people have accepted to work as a team. As the day pass by one would give applause because of the work done. Little did we know that such talents were hidden in people in our town. Sharing ideas we bring new samples to Eco Africa. Looking at where we started November 2003 and now one would see the joy and improvements that Eco Africa has brought to our young women. Since Eco Africa was introduced some children now have the chances of going to school and unlike the olden days they can afford to have descent meal per day. Women here have now a vision for their children because some of these children were bright but because of financial instability they never used to have a chance to attend schools. It was because there was lack finance like I said before and there was lack of education too. Thank
God Eco Africa has come to the rescue to the troubled hearts
of the Zimbabwean ladies. It all started with 50 ladies and
believe me in March 2004 Eco Africa project had about 200 ladies
all being able to walk home with something at the end of every
week and all being able to have food on the table. With all
the efforts being put by these lovely ladies we hope that our
customers will be able to grow interest in the products so as
to keep this project running. As we all hope that the products
will still be on demand we keep our fingers crossed so that
you may keep on buying our product so that our hopes for a better
future will not cease. Surely Eco Africa is a big company with
you as part of it that is through your contribution is in buying
the product. Your support counts in so many ways because in
buying the products it will keep us busy as well as going on
and on. We keep on praying that this project will go on and
on and that we will never go back to the bad olden days when
ladies would be victimized because they used to stay at home
doing nothing only to watch their children suffering from hunger.
As the Floor Supervisor things are going on well, and people are so happy with the working conditions. We are still waiting for the feedback from our customers but I feel it's a good product that we are making. In the event of new orders coming, enough time is needed to work on them, so that we do not produce things of sub-standard. Hats off to Eco Africa for the help it has offered to the underprivileged women of the Republic of Zimbabwe. We did not know how useful our resources are before Eco Africa introduced these lovely products to us. Thank you very much for this enlighten on the use of hands. Our leaders have been very supportive and I wish if this can continue in future. Lastly as the Production Supervisor, I would like to visit some of the markets (USA) so that we have a vision of how our products are received. This will give us a way forward when we come back home preparing for new products. I am very much prepared to participate at exhibitions since I have information and knowledge about most of the products if not all. This will give me the right approach when we make new products. Forward with Eco Africa and its women empowerment project. We
make paper assortments, kits, tassels, twine, wire and embellishment.
All materials used are not hazardous to our health for example
plant seeds, botanicals and pulp. Our working place is secured
and there are rarely disturbances. We hope this project will
not close because it is helping people earn a better living
and have knowledge with art. We did not know that waste paper
can be useful. We are making beads out if it. We are enjoying
our work for Eco Africa Company.
I want to thank Eco Africa for giving me this opportunity of working. Eco Africa introduced this work which is helping women and their families. This work is meant for brain's work and the use of hands. From this work I gained experience and now my hands are flexible to make torn papers, tags, wedding bells and other things using embellishments. On kits we use botanicals and other natural resources like seeds to make beads so that our customers may enjoy buying the kits we make. Even on tassels we use twine and we also put pulp beads of different colours and shapes. Eco Africa has taught us neat packing as well as being thoughtful and hard working. Many thanks to Eco Africa for supporting me and my family. Thank you once again for the experience it is really enjoyable working at Eco Africa. Meanwhile since there is a good relationship between us all we find it easy to do our best to produce good quality products. We work very hard to finish our orders in time and at the same time maintaining good quality. We always make it a point that whenever we are given a task we do it fast and satisfactorily. This way we please our leaders and they in turn also try their level best to please us. Looking back when we started in November 2003, we cannot say we have any complaints of the any sort. We have been working well and business is running smoothly. Though at times pressure mounts on us we understand because that is typical of any job. One would not be surprised that business is running smoothly because of the effort that is being put by individuals. Everyone is doing the best for the upkeep of the Eco Africa project and if ever there are any compliments, all credit must be given to teamwork and hardworking people.
I am Mrs. Marondera a mother of four; I have been a fulltime housewife before on the Eco Africa project. I am enjoying every moment with on the project and with my workmates. Eco Africa products exposed the skills that I did not know that I do have. Working together and sharing ideas is our motto. We have creativity and talents that it is a marvel to watch us working. We are very grateful that Eco Africa has been able to introduce us to the world of self sustaining. Eco Africa has taught me the secret behind sharing ideas and that it needs two people in order for them to be able to stand firm, it is all about sharing the work and ideas. Life has really changed from a housewife to someone who is now able to stand alone and it makes me very proud to be a part of Eco Africa since I am now able to look after my children. I hope that things will go on well and that Eco Africa will remain until the end of time. Thumbs up with Eco Africa!! Before the Eco Africa programme started we had tried a number of self- help programmes based on poverty alleviation but all of them failed because there was no financial support. And on the other hand we were very much stressed because of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. This pandemic calls for behavioral change in our attitude towards morality and for Christian's principals of abstinence before marriage and faithfulness in marriages, but still our common enemy remains to be poverty. In our society we have a large number of orphaned children that are headed by elderly people; these families could hardly afford two meals per day. Now we can say Eco Africa has helped a number of families who can now afford two meals a day. Remember we only began in the last days of October 2003 with not more than fifty people and by mid March 2004 we had more than two hundred people working on the project. Most key posts are held by our young local people. We pray that this project will run for more days, months, years even centuries to come.
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