Africa Circle of Hope
Makena Textile Workshop
(Meru, Kenya)
This
women’s cooperative workshop was started in 1979 in rural Meru,
Kenya, when 50 local women started an initiative to generate income to
support their family and to improve the local economy in this poor rural
area. Some volunteers from Norway helped the women learn how to spin,
and make wool rugs with local wool and natural dyes. Later the women also
begin creating tie-dyed fabrics for clothing and other items. Today there
are 19 women in the group and they have invested their meager income into
buying two of the warehouse sheds where they have been working. They are
the only business left in what was intended to be a small enterprise zone.
The women are struggling to sell their colorful handmade wool rugs.
The Makena Textile Workshop is receiving support for business, leadership and entrepreneurship training, equipment repair, improved operations management, communication and strategic marketing. The women participated in entrepreneurship training and basic computer training in June and July 2007. Their deteriorated boilers have been replaced and dyeing production has resumed. They now have ongoing mentoring from local business leaders. After this training and support their sales have already increased with more strategic planning and marketing to targeted groups. We are continuing to work with Makena in all these areas and expand this training to other women’s entrepreneurship groups in the area.