The Vuche Vuche Basket Weaving Co-operative began in January 2011. The group was started by Maggie Zambo and a few other ladies and aimed to create employment for women who were either not employed or only employed on a part time basis, but who had financial obligations to their families, for example, educating their children. The group now consists of twenty ladies, some of whom are widows and having to take care of their families solely and others who are taking care of orphaned children or their elderly parents. The money earned helps with the building of their craft shop and the surplus is used for food and education for the ladies’ families.
Their materials are harvested from the bush around the nearby village of Satau and all dyes used are natural. By collecting these reeds it helps the growth of the plant, making it sustainable for the environment. It can take anywhere from three days to a month to create the baskets. At the moment, the ladies’ only market is self-drives who visit Chobe National Park or people who know about the group. They are hoping to expand this with the building of their craft shop and by selling their wares through African Bush Camps accommodations in Botswana & Zimbabwe.
Zambezi Traveller Directory:
African Bush Camps
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