The final Sukumani sewing party

Today was the final sewing party, as next Friday I will be out of town with Angela. We are going to go to the Drakensburg in South Africa and then on to Angela's home in Durban, South Africa. At any rate, we had a fun final day of sewing. The ladies even surprised me with small embroidery squares they made for me! It was so sweet.

I realized Sukumani has beautiful products, but it is difficult for them to market them. Dudu (the mastermind and idea lady and my teacher) is so wonderful, but she is very busy with making the products and she can't also go deliver to them to the merchants. So, Helen and I decided to help out. We helped them sort, label, call businesses (including Swazi Candles, which I had visited earlier in the week), and arrange drop-off. The businesses were extremely responsive and told us that the cards had sold very quickly and they wanted more!

Tomorrow Angela, Dudu, and I will go to make deliveries around Swaziland. We have a whole route planned out. We are giving the items on consignment, and then Helen or Angela will go back with Dudu next month to collect the earnings. Yay for Sukumani!



Group photo. Dudu, my teacher is in the back on the far right of the photo holding the yellow bag.

One of the youngest members of Sukumani and her granny (or "gogo" in siSwati).

Dudu helping me with my embroidery.

I call this one "multitasking mama". She had to stand and sew and hold the baby on her back, otherwise he got fussy :)

Admiring her finished work.

Working away
 

The group working hard!
 

My gift from the ladies