We need to recognize that
training alone is not an effective means
to combat unemployment.
To minimize
the risk that training will be ineffective,
job creation must also occur.
Under good workingconditions
Female empowerment is the backbone of the organisation and our main focus is the investment in long-term development of artisanal craft skills, culminating in meaningful job creation. Through expert tutelage by professional makers from Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and, Norway the team of female makers are honed with the confidence and technical know-how to create products that consistently encompass quality and design.
Investment in quality vocational skills development is the driving force and the makers undergo an extensive in house training program, arming them with skills for life.
WAYAWAYA is a leather accessories brand that was developed by the organization. The word WAYAWAYA translates as ‘the art of wasting time’ and is a brand with a strong social mission. At its core WAYAWAYA embraces the art of ‘slow fashion’, creating meaningful fashion pieces that stand the test of time whilst connecting to a greater social awareness. This is the main source of generating income and it funds training, peer-to-peer workshops and CSR activities in Zambia.
The formidable women of Zambia are unquestionably resourceful & hardworking and now we have flipped the phrase ‘wayawaya’ on its head. Today it is a phrase that fosters pride, confidence and a sense of security. To invest in women is to uplift their entire community, with the ripples of impact being felt through the whole extended family.
By women, for women is the core of WAYAWAYA and is a concept inspired by the fellowship of women throughout Zambia.
“I feel very happy. Actually, I am very proud…the skill I have now, even my friends are admiring me because it is not easy to learn how to use the leather and to do the stitching. Before, we just saw some bags at the market and in the shops, but we did not have any idea how to make them. But for now I am proud. Even when I see someone who is selling a handbag I am not left wondering. If I look at it very carefully I know I can make it my own. Yes”
— ANGELA, HEAD LEATHER ARTISAN FROM THE WAYAWAYA TEAM.