FREE and SWSC

Last weekend we hosted some visitors from an organization in Lusaka called FREE (Foundation for the Realization of Economic Empowerment). In partnership with FREE and funded entirely by Kansanshi Mine in Solwezi, 3 women were invited to run a workshop for our students on jewellery making from recycled copper wire and sheeting.  

Tammie (SWSC Canadian Board Member) had come across some of FREE’s copper products (rings, bangles, bracelets, necklaces and earrings) at Lusaka’s Sunday Craft Market in April. She had met with Dawn (the Founder of FREE) and ordered some jewellery for me to take back to Canada for Tammie a month later. Before I flew out in May, I sat down with Dawn in Lusaka to collect the jewellery. At this time, I had the opportunity to hear her story. She told me all about how FREE was started and how important it was to empower women by ensuring they are in control of their own financial futures. Before the end of the conversation, I had convinced Dawn that our female students would greatly benefit from an opportunity like this. She had ensured me that anyone could learn the skills, including teenage girls, and they would be able to produce market-able items and earn a monthly salary. 

Charity and Vanessa working away on rings!

Most of our students are coming from families of at least 5 or more children. A lot of them are coming from single parent families (with one parent deceased) or others coming from the care of relatives or Grandparents. They’re from rural villages, where farming is the main source of income. Parents work every day in their fields in the heat with minimal resources in order to produce enough to send all of their children to school. Although we don’t charge school fees at SWSC, we do ask these parents to pay for uniforms and their children’s food each month. I’m guessing that the cost of food can’t be much more than $40.00 CDN a month per student. Regardless, this cost is a huge burden to parents, and yet they never stop working to earn enough to send their children to school. If the girls themselves could earn enough each month to pay for their own food, clothes and other necessities; their parents would be relieved of this burden and the girls would have the pride of fully supporting themselves. 

Linda from FREE (purple shirt) showing the girls how to mold and size rings.

And so with that…. Dawn went to work writing a proposal to Kansanshi requesting funds for the workshop, as well as for the costs of the necessary tools and equipment. Kansanshi approved the proposal and a date was set for September for the workshop. Another valuable piece of the puzzle fit in, when a member of the Church I go to in Solwezi commented on the copper jewellery I was wearing one day. When I told her about FREE and the upcoming workshop, she mentioned that she was also a jewellery maker (her expertise being in silver), and that she’d be interested in coming to partake in the workshop and possibly helping out with this project. Since last week, Michelle has now committed herself to volunteer 2 days each week to continue the training, as well as supervise the girls’ work. She believes the girls will have sell-able items in about 2 months! Get your orders ready. Each piece of jewellery will be marketed with the producer’s name, and therefore the buyer will be able to make a connection with that student. Students will receive a percentage of each sale they make. Another percentage will go to sustaining the project.  

 

Eliza (seated in the middle) helping Lyness perfect bangle making.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall, this has been a great experience. I LOVE the idea that 2 incredible Zambian organizations, FREE and SWSC, can work together to make things better. A highlight of all of this, was watching one of our academically weaker students, Eliza, excel immediately at this skill. During the workshop, I had to practically carry the students out of my house on a Saturday night at 9:30pm because they still wanted to work on their jewellery. They’d already been at it since 8:00 that morning and had no interest in stopping. It was nice to see the girls take to something so keenly that will have almost an immediate impact on their lives; an opportunity once again for them to create their own positive futures.

SWSC's Noah

Well, it’s official; SWSC has finally got wheels of our own. My favourite part of this entire vehicle purchasing spectacle, you ask? It was when the seller of the vehicle asked if we wanted to buy another vehicle from him. This is how the conversation went: 

Seller: “I have another one if you’re interested”.

Me (laughing): “It took us almost 6 years to buy this one; I don’t think we are ready for another one quite yet”.
Seller (laughing in disbelief): “Are you sure”?
Me (wanting to say, but only thinking): “Buddy, don’t let my skin colour deceive you. I have been hitch hiking around this country for 6 years. You have no idea how much effort we have put into making a decision on this one”.
Seller (probably thinking but not saying): “Lady, you are the craziest and I guess the poorest mzungu (white peson) I have ever met”.
Me (now feeling in disbelief as I walk out of his office and the entire way home): “I can’t believe I don’t have to hitch hike home. I can’t believe we finally bought a vehicle. I can hardly believe this, but I have to….this is way too good to be true”. 

 SWSC's first vehicle purchase, a Toyota Noah

So, every time I walk into my bedroom and peer out my front window and see a vehicle parked in my driveway, I still get excited thinking there is somewhere here to visit me; then I remember that it’s ours. As I sit here and write this at my dining room table, I can see a silver coloured Mom-Mobile sized machine that has so much potential (not likely for carting kids to soccer practice although it certainly could play that role). Our new vehicle has the potential to drive (excuse the pun) this organization to a new future. Here are some of the advantages:

·         Trips to Solwezi can be made on a schedule (no more walking 25 minutes out to the highway, waiting for whatever vehicle we can hike in at whatever time to take us to some unknown destination in town once we have arrived).

·         Efficiency is now possible (despite the horrible traffic in Solwezi…that has only one 2 lane road that reaches from one end of town to the other, not to mention that it is the only way to reach the rest of Northwestern Province north-west of Solwezi, or the entire rest of the country south-east of Solwezi). We are able to visit council offices, do shopping, have meetings and make so many other SWSC errands in the same day.

·         We can assist a community member in an emergency situation (no more walking 10km to a rural health post when you are suffering from malaria). We will be able to take those who are in serious need of medical attention to the nearest clinic for assistance.

·         Supporting local just got easier! In our own vehicle, we can stop and buy what we need, from local farmers (beans, bananas, potatoes and vegetables…all that we can from the side of the road). 

Truly, the list of advantages is endless, but I will leave it at that. I often find it difficult to FEEL the progress of SWSC when I have never been separated from its operations, not once in almost 6 years. Although it will take some time to completely set in and although I know that this is only a small piece of completing the puzzle….it is entirely satisfying to be reminded that we moving along just fine. We aren’t finished yet, there is so much more to do. We’ve hit speed bumps (yet another clever pun), been delayed at road blocks (mhmmm), paid a few unjustified tickets (still going), and have never once put ourselves into reverse (I’m done now). One day, I hope I’ll be able to look back and REMEMBER how much we have struggled so I can FEEL grateful for how far we will have come.