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The Fancy Stitch group
is a self-help, income generation and skills development initiative
amongst women living in the deep rural hamlet of Ingwavuma,
KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa and a supplier of high quality, artistic
greeting cards, picture frames and clothing.
Fancy Stitch
started with 27 members in September 2001 and has now grown to include
more than 400 members. The dedication, talent and social and emotional
connectedness amongst the members is impressive. All these
characteristics, combined with a dynamic vision for the future, makes
this an exciting and inspirational development initiative.
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Ingwavuma
is situated in the Lebombo Mountains in the province of KwaZulu-Natal,
South Africa. Focused around a small cluster of shops and amenities,
the settlement lies scattered over a 60km radius and supports around
120 000 inhabitants. People survive through migrant labour, subsistence
farming and government grants, often shared amongst entire households.
Poverty is deeply rooted, and social problems like alcoholism and
teenage pregnancy are widespread. Desperately, HIV infection rates
amongst young women keep rising. The costs of HIV, the numerous
funerals, and caring for children orphaned by AIDS drain scarce
household resources, deepening poverty further. But there is also hope
here. Witnessing the suffering and inspired by the vibrancy, Fancy
Stitch holds five main objectives:
•
to create jobs for local people to alleviate poverty
• to develop the skills of our
members
• to build the capacity of our
organization
• to market our products
• and to be an independent and
thriving business.
Fancy
Stitch is a business enterprise, with annually-audited financial
statements. Equally we are a group of real people with real lives, and
that's what drives us. Each day's work is powered by our aims to:
•
create beautiful products to a consistently high standard
• encourage one another to have
hope and a vision for the future
• actively support vulnerable
persons amongst us
• and raise awareness of
HIV\/AIDS and encourage positive living.
We grow by the grace of God.
© 2005 Fancy Stitch Group
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