Batsiranai
The Batsiranai Craft Project is an income generation cooperative in Dzivaresekwa, Zimbabwe. The project works as a support group of mothers and families of disabled children. It also works as a vehicle to empower women by providing training for them in valuable work skills such as computing, sewing, drawing and design. Future plans include training in bookkeeping, management, purchasing and marketing.
All members of the cooperative make embroideries and many are also card makers. The cards are constructed on recycled gum paper and local handmade paper. Using recycled hand painted bottle caps the mothers make African scenes and animals in brilliant colours. Although all products are sold domestically the main sales come from outside of Zimbabwe.
These strong hardworking women live under extremely challenging circumstances. Most are lodgers, all use public transport or walk, some are widowed, some are single mothers, many husbands are unemployed, HIV+ is rate is greater than 25%, and the children require complex medical, emotional and educational interventions.
Their hardship is depended by the steadily deteriorating political and economic situation in the country. Zimbabweans have seen their real wages and living standards plummet since 1999. High cost inflation and shortages of food, fuel and other essential commodities are frequent. Smaller producer groups like Batsiranai Craft Project and their activities have been particularly negatively affected. Today an estimated 83% of Zimbabweans live on less than $2 dollars per day. The recent Government decision to bulldoze buildings in its Operation Clean-Up Slums has moreover left many of our producers homeless.
Income generation through cooperatives helps people to sustain their livelihoods, and afford health care and education for their children. In buying a product made by Batsiranai you make an important contribution to the lives of 30 women and their families which makes the benefit spread out to hundreds of people.
