… projects done
Job Creation in Zululand
Picture above: South African President Mr Jacob Zuma at the ceremonial handover of the Umsholozi Walking Sticks produced by the Nkandla Production Team, December 2009, Nkandla, KwaZulu Natal, South Arica.
TEL was contracted to establish a rural secondary industries workshop in the heart of Zululand focusing on creating value-added products using local alien invasive timber (Nov 2009).
Situated in Nkandla, the home-town of South African President Jacob Zuma – the project began by establishing a formal work-site and making 2000 branded, handcrafted walking sticks from Black Wattle harvested locally. The workshop incorporates converted shipping containers dressed with latte and local Zulu building materials and construction techniques.
The team of 20, consisting of 60% woman and 50% disabled local previously unemployed Zulu residents made 127 walking sticks on the first day of production.
The sticks are branded in Zulu “Masihambe Sokwakha Isizwe” and “Letha indukuyami”, meaning “Let’s go and build a nation” and “Bring me my hiking stick” respectively.
These hiking sticks, individually hand-crafted by the Nkandla Team of 20 will be given to President Zuma and handed out by him to guests at his 2009 Christmas celebrations in Nkandla.
Following this event, the team will produce waiting benches from gum-tree planks to be placed at disability and pension queues for the elderly and disabled. The team will also make making school desks and produce more hiking sticks for sales to surrounding Drakensburg Mountain Lodges and resorts and hiking enthusiasts and interest groups.
View the second TEL Progress Report on this as a PDF document