Shared Interest Foundation has Swaziland handicraft project all sewn up thanks to Comic Relief
An international development charity in Newcastle upon Tyne has been awarded just over £500,000 to fund business skills in one of Africa's poorest countries.
Thanks to funding from Comic Relief, Shared Interest Foundation will begin 2011 working with businesses in Swaziland to increase their opportunities to earn a fair wage.
Working in collaboration with the Swaziland International Fair Trade Association (SWIFT), Shared Interest Foundation will provide training for over 130 Swazi handicraft businesses. Swaziland has a population of less than a million people, yet it has the highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world. With one in three people being inflicted with the disease, there has been a devastating effect on the nation's small-scale economy. In recent years handicrafts have become a huge source of national income.
Shared Interest Foundation manager Andrea Wilkinson said: "It was after hearing about our work in Rwanda that a group of budding Swazi entrepreneurs approached up about rolling out something similar in Swaziland. They can see how it is training in areas such as fair trade awareness that will ultimately secure them a more sustainable future for their companies."
It is estimated that over 3,000 people will benefit from Shared Interest Foundation's business support program. Training will include elements such as business planning and marketing along with basic skills such as how to appropriately value products. The scheme will also involve a mentoring system which will see larger organisations supporting the development of smaller groups.
This latest project fits with Shared Interest Foundation's goal of becoming the most respected provider of ethical business support to disadvantaged producers globally, particularly in the areas of business and financial management.
Andrea adds: "We have made great strides towards achieving this goal, through the continued success of our capacity-building project in Rwanda, the launch of a Livelihood Security Fund that helps businesses following natural disasters, and the continuation of our small grants scheme."
SWIFT's secretary, Julie Nixon said: "SWIFT sincerely appreciates the assistance that Shared Interest Foundation has given us over the years. The Comic Relief funding will help the Swaziland handicraft businesses receive training as well as guiding them on how to access existing markets. Training on its own is always a useful tool for growth but access to markets is the driving force of business."
"Established companies within fair trade will not only be mentoring but also sharing their client base and collaborating on new products. Swaziland has an amazing ethic of sharing and working together and this is why we know that this will be an incredibly successful, sustainable and empowering project for its people."
"Comic Relief is a firm believer in the need for fair and ethical trade as part of a just world free from poverty," says Louise Herring, Comic Relief's Trade and Enterprise Manager. "We believe this grant will enable handicraft producers in Swaziland to delveop strong and sustainable organisations which provide long-term routes out of poverty for thousands of people."
Andrea continues: "This will be the largest capacity project we will have delivered to date. We worked with 50 businesses for our Rwandan project but this will impact the lives of generations to come. Comic Relief has now helped us realise our dream of repeating this success in another developing world country. Working alongside SWIFT will give us the on-the-ground insight crucial to working at grassroots level and we look forward to engaging with Swazi handicraft businesses so that they can work towards accessing the fair trade market."
For more information contact
stina.porter@shared-interest.com 0191 233 (9132)
stacey.toth@shared-interest.com 0191 233 (9113)
Shared Interest Foundation provides sustainable business training to those that need it most. Believing in trade not aid, the Newcastle-based international development charity believes that education, training and access to fair finance are essential in maximising business opportunities for communities in the developing world.
Swaziland International Fair Trade Association (SWIFT) is COFTA's newest country network that was established in 2007 by Swazi Candles, Tintsaba and Gone Rural as well as COFTA members based in Swaziland. SWIFT currently has 15 members who in total support thousands of people involved in the production of handicraft products including candles, basketry and weaving, jewellery, ceramics and glassware, all based on Swazi traditional skills.
Comic Relief is a UK charity which makes grants in the UK and in Africa in support of its vision of a just world free from poverty. Comic Relief has awarded a grant of £502,598 to the Shared Interest Foundation for 36 months through its Trade programme.