The women’s papermaking project in the Jabulani community has come a long way since training began a few months ago. The group has been part of the Mapepa Paper Project, and has recently completed the initial three-month training. We attended the certification ceremony, where the women carried out a demonstration on how the paper is made before receiving their certificates.
Paper waste has been used in this project to make beautiful products, including bookmarks, notebooks, origami boxes, and of course bespoke A4 paper. With a bit of creativity, the possibilities for products are endless. We are so proud of what this group has made already and are so excited to see what they produce over the next few months.
The paper waste used in this project has diverted it from ending up in landfill, which is a significant step for environmental conservation. Furthermore, the income raised from selling these products has contributed to increased household income for those involved, providing them with a more consistent and reliable income in these difficult economic times.
From this point on, the eight members of the group will go on to train another group. We are so proud of these ladies, and love their enthusiasm and motivation to be creative and try new ideas. Following the success of this project so far, we are looking forward to establishing another group at St Mary’s.
We thank the Grand Circle Foundation for their continued support and the difference that is able to be made in rural communities.
Report by Sarah Adams
