While in Zambia this week, I came accross a straw hamper in the waiting area of the Swedish embassy in Lusaka labeled “Chikumbuso“. It was decorated with an HIV ribbon woven from plastic bags and had a sign on it saying any old plastic bags placed in the hamper would be used to make new woven bags. It turns out Chikumbuso is a community center that serves widows, single mothers, grandmothers and orphans by running a school for the children and teaching women income-generating skils (such as how to make a bag out of old plastic bags). I tried to find the place online before leaving, but alas was not able to arrange a visit. I did find this sweet little video of the women singing, though.
Photo by LearnServe International, found on Flickr
Tags: zero waste
everydaytrash 
Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 4:40 pm |
http://www.chikumbuso.org is the website. Not sure whether or not you managed to find it. You can get in touch with the project via email at chikumbusoproject.com. Hope this helps
Thursday, October 30, 2008 at 4:41 pm |
sorry, very distracted: http://www.chikumbuso.com and chikumbsoproject@yahoo.com.
Friday, October 31, 2008 at 5:40 pm |
Thanks. If I return to Lusaka for work, I’ll definitely look them up.