Empowerment Projects News

A TESTIMONY OF… “EMPOWERING PEOPLE THROUGH APPROPRIATE PAPER-BASED TECHNOLOGY”

Our Neighbours Ministry, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe seeks to show Christ’s love to people in need, specifically offering support, assistance, empowerment and discipleship. One area in which we endeavour to assist people is through the Empowerment Projects. Our vision of these projects is to empower individuals or a group of people to run successful small businesses through the provision of respective skills training. Our most recent Empowerment Project has been one of Appropriate Paper-Based Technology (APT), and in just a few words I could summarize this project as "a group of unemployed people working together to utilize and transform cardboard and used paper into furniture and other useful household objects".

The empowerment group consisting of 4 gents (Addmore, Eric, Mbekezeli and Yazininkosi) and 2 ladies (Sufficient and Catherine) recently completed 2-3 weeks of training conducted by a lovely Christian couple from United Kingdom, who felt God place this process of APT upon their hearts for the people of Bulawayo. The team learnt first how to make small stools and waste paper baskets, they have now begun making stock of their products for resale. Their next lot of products will be small coffee tables, side tables and even pre-school desks. This process has been further developed in other countries to make specific furniture for people with disabilities. We look forward to this project reaching that stage of manufacture.

The process of APT was first developed by Bevil Packer here in Bulawayo back in the 70’s. Thirty years later and it has been re-introduced to Zimbabwe, as a way to generate income and also provide the local community with such useful products “hand-made with loving care”.

The process starts out with collections of cardboard and waste paper. The cardboard is then sorted into sheets of similar size and texture, it is then laminated with a “flour and water” paste to make up the materials – these layers give strength to the product. They are pressed together and then the pattern is cut from these sheets. Layers of paper are used to fit the pieces of the product together and this is then decorated. It can be painted with plain water colors and decorated with different patterns and pictures. To get a wonderful rich brown finish, “earth paint” is made up from ground soil. The product is then sealed with lacquer varnish. Items can even be personalized by being decorated with family pictures or special designs.

Now I have made it all sound very simply but it is a process which takes time and dedication. This empowerment team has proved their commitment in this project and it has been exciting to see the project take off so well. It is lovely to be a part of a project which ultimately sees people working together, utilizing the gifts that God has given them, to help themselves and in turn also helping others within the community! We thank God for all those who have been a part of this project through their support, love and friendship, and we give Him the Glory.

If you would like to make a contribution in any way to this team, please feel free to contact Mbongeni Gumbo or Belinda Wilson on (09) 64474 or email us at isaiahs@yoafrica.com or ourneighbours@yoafrica.com