Neema Crafts
Neema Crafts was started in October 2003 by the Diocese of Ruaha. Its purpose is to provide handicrafts training and employment for deaf and physically disabled people in Iringa region, Tanzania, and also to change negative attitudes towards people with disabilities in the local community. Local employers are invited to see how skilled the workers at Neema Crafts quickly become when given the opportunity to fulfil their potential. The high quality of their work is changing the attitude of local people towards disabled people.
Hand Made Paper Workshop
Neema Crafts was started by Susie Hart, a British woman and herself disabled, who works for the Diocese of Ruaha. She began the Hand Made Paper Workshop, with three young deaf people who were faced with an uncertain future, without hope of further education or employment, due to the stigma attached to their disability. To date there are now over 20 deaf and hard of hearing people working at Neema Crafts. They are taught how to make paper from recycled and natural materials, such as maize husks, pineapple leaves and even elephant dung! They also learn many other skills, including screen-printing techniques and how to construct their hand-made paper into albums, picture frames and cards etc.
Beading Project
The Beading Project was started soon afterwards for people with physical disabilities. The Iringa region has one of the highest proportions of physically disabled people in Tanzania, yet nothing was being done locally to provide them with practical help in the form of vocational training and employment. The participants are trained for one week in beading techniques, after which time they bring what they have made to the workshop and receive further training support, wages and new beads. Many become so proficient that they quickly earn more than their able-bodied friends and families! This has a tremendously important effect on their sense of dignity and self-esteem, as well as changing attitudes towards disability in the community, as people who were once seen as a burden are now able to support themselves and their families.
As interest from locals and tourists grew it was decided that a Shop would be an essential addition to the centre, and this was opened in the spring of 2004, adjoining the paper making workshop. Up to this point goods produced had been sold to hotel boutiques in the National Parks of Tanzania, and overseas. The shop proved to be a great success and provides the opportunity to offer visitors tours of the workshop which continue to be a hit.
Weaving Workshop
In May 2005 the Weaving Workshop was opened, making rugs, cushion covers, fine scarves, hammocks and other fabulous woven textiles, to offer further opportunities for vocational training and employment to some of the huge numbers of people with disabilities still unable to support themselves. Ten people with physically disabilities have become highly skilled weavers and have all been lifted from situations of extreme poverty to self-reliance and a greater sense of self-respect. They are also provided with specially adapted wheelchairs and other disability aids. Demand for the woven products is soaring, so new looms are being made to accommodate more weavers, although the current space will limit the number we can take on until more space is acquired. The weaving workshop also has a sewing and Patchwork Quilting area, where bags, cushion covers and other products are made, also by people with disabilities. The larger bed-sized quilts and throws are made by a small group of Mothers Union members (whom the diocese originally asked Susie to work with before she started Neema Crafts) in their own homes.
Neema Crafts Gallery Café
Neema Crafts Gallery Café was opened in August 2005 and was an instant hit with its tasty selection of home-made cakes, ice creams and light lunches, all made and served on the premises by deaf workers. The purposes of the café are to increase the number of deaf people receiving training and employment, draw more visitors through the shop, and most importantly educate local people about the abilities of deaf and hard-of-hearing people. Customers fill in an order form then press a switch which operates a flashing light in the kitchen to summon the waiter or waitress. He or she then receives the order, and brings it to the customer. Menu's have sign language on the back so that visitors can learn to communicate with the café staff, and this breaks down barriers between hearing and non-hearing people, especially with the Tanzanian customers.
We now employ over 60 people at Neema Crafts, the great majority of them being physically disabled or deaf Due to the growign size of Neema craft workforce we have now moved into a new building. This gives us much more space and a brighter environemtn to welcome our visitors.
To help with the fulfillment of our UK orders Neema crafts has teamed up with Paperworks. We feel this is a very positive step forwards for the centre as it will make it much easier for customers to order and receive goods quickly and efficiently. This is vitally important as Neema Crafts currently has a large workforce of deaf and physically disabled artisans, but a small local market in Tanzania, so it's essential to increase our overseas sales in order to keep employing those already trained and move forwards towards giving similar opportunities to the many other disabled people currently on our waiting list. Please do give this new service a try and order some Neema Crafts goods today! In doing so you will be having a direct and positive impact on the lives of 'differently able' people at Neema Crafts and at Paperworks at the same time!