House 8810 Giveaway

House 8810 is doing a giveaway of a Tote and a bifold wallet today---if you've had your eye on one of these, now's your chance to get one!  

Thank you House 8810 for supporting our work!

Bushel Bags

When I go shopping, I have a bag full of bags strapped over my shoulder, and I can't help but feel that my bags are part of my outfit.  It's easy to remain stylish when carrying a Kwerekwere bag.

Our first batch of Bushel Bags was completed today!  These bags have one long strap and can be worn over the shoulder.  They can be closed with the magnetic snap along the middle of the opening, and have four pockets for necessities that need to stay accessible.

Bushel Bags: R350 or $50

Thank you House 8810

Thank you to Alison at House 8810 for blogging about our products today!  We feel honored to have been featured among such amazing craft and design products!  Check out their website when you get a chance.

Here are a few pictures of the latest batch of Totes, lined with Shweshwe fabric:

Motivation

From the inception of the project, I expected that having an income would make a difference in the sewers' lives, but I didn't anticipate the improved confidence and feelings of fulfillment I have witnessed.  The transformation I have seen is astounding.  I repeatedly receive gratitude for the changes that being involved in Kwerekwere has produced.  The project has facilitated lifestyle changes, such as being able to stay home and look after children while still earning an income, but it has also facilitated that natural human need to explore, learn, improve, and grow.  One woman now feels so good about her new skills that she stays up and continues to sew into the night after her children have gone to bed---it brings her joy to work with the materials, progress with her skills, and produce beautiful products.  She even experiments with new designs when she is finished sewing wallets and Tote bags, and this woman barely knew how to use her sewing machine when she started working with us.  When I'm visiting her house to bring her more supplies or collect finished products, not only can I see it on her face, but I can feel the sense of elation, confidence, and fulfillment that this project has facilitated.

Liz

The origin of Kwerekwere

The idea for Kwerekwere designs began while doing fieldwork for my thesis in inner city Johannesburg. My research looked at the everyday lives of cross-border migrant women from other parts of the African continent – Cameroon, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria, Burundi, Uganda, Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and so on. I was interested in women’s experiences of Johannesburg - how they find work, a place to stay, and even love in their host city. As a Kenyan migrant woman who has lived in South Africa for sixteen years, I wanted to understand other women’s experiences in this city that is both home to me and foreign at the same time.

As we exchanged stories about living in the city of gold, one of the things that struck me was the conversations we had about being aKwerekwere. Kwerekwere (s), or Amakwerekwere (pl) is a Zulu word for an unwanted foreigner, someone who does not belong. We all had an ambivalent relationship to the label Kwerekwere. Sometimes it is hurtful to be called a Kwerekwere, at other times, it is a label of honor and a source of pride.

When a Congolese refugee, in difficult financial and personal circumstances asked me for work, I decided to find ways of starting a project that provided a sustainable income to women who live in inner city Johannesburg. This is how the idea for Kwerekwere designs was born. We hope to build the skills and income earning capabilities of women living in poverty by creating a socially responsible, eco friendly, sustainable project.

--Caroline Wanjiku Kihato

Wallets

Wallets in display stand

We now have three different styles of wallets: Bifold, Trifold, and Vertical Bifold.  All of the wallets are sewn by Jariah, and made with recycled coffee bean bags and African textiles.  Some of the wallets feature the original printing on the coffee bean bags, and some are adorned with embroidery hand-sewn by two different women from Zimbabwe, Memory and Sandra.

 

Jariah, holding a stack of wallets that she sewed

Bifold wallets

Embroidered Bifold wallets with button and snap closures

Bifold wallets featuring the original printing on the recycled coffee bean bags

Bifold wallet with appliqué

Bifold wallet in use!

Trifold wallet, closed

Trifold wallet, open

The trifold wallet has a pouch for coins that closes with velcro

The Trifold wallet has a pocket for cards inside the billfold

The outside of the Trifold wallet, featuring the word "Ethio" from the Ethiopian coffee bean bag

Trifold wallet with embroidery on the outside and lined with shweshwe fabric

Vertical Bifold wallet, closed with loop and button

Vertical Bifold, open. The card pockets are vertical so that when the wallet is closed, they are very secure

The Vertical Bifold has a bill liner that is tall enough to completely conceal the bills inside

Coins can be stored in the pocket behind the card slots

The outside of the Vertical Bifold, featuring the stripes from a recycled coffee bean bag from Rwanda

Prices:
Bifold-R120 or $17.50
Embroidered Bifold-R140 or $20
Trifold- R130 or $18.85
Embroidered Trifold- R150 or $21.75
Vertical Bifold- R170 or $25

Please contact: info.kwerekwere@gmail.com for more information or to order.

Flavours of Fairtrade

Last night, we attended the Flavours of Fairtrade event at Bean There Coffee Company in Johannesburg, South Africa.  Bean There Coffee Company has generously donated the coffee bean bags that we are using to create our products, and its owners are firmly committed to supporting Fairtrade.

We displayed some of our products at the event, and we were welcomed by the other businesses with enthusiasm and support.

 Organic, Fairtrade wine flowed throughout the evening!