Women's Sewing Circle
The Women’s Sewing Circle is a group of strong, passionate, and determined women working together to find sustainable employment methods and empower the community around them by learning life skills. The Women’s Sewing Circle is based out of the Baobuyu Learning Center as part of our female empowerment initiative.
The Women's Sewing Circle debuted in 2019, initially creating ‘doggie’ bandanas for our four-legged friends. After testing our bandanas with family and friends, we sold them through various outlets in the US, UK, The Netherlands, Canada, and Zambia. More recently, our craftswomen have added beautiful purses, totes, and dog collars made of African chitenge to our collection. Chitenge is a bright, durable fabric with African-inspired traditional and modern prints. We work hard to ensure each product is crafted to perfection.
It is estimated that only 27% of girls in Zambia complete secondary school; among the poorest of children, this falls to 3% (UNICEF, 2019). Each bag symbolizes a step forward in breaking this cycle of poverty. Our hope is that this training will pave the path to independence through the establishment of our own micro-enterprises in the future.
When the circle began, the women were trained by an independent professional tailor. Now Memory and Betty have become experts in making the bags, so they are helping train and teach other women, spreading the knowledge and skills, embodying the power of women. When you empower a woman, you empower the whole world!
Tammy, the Director of Baobuyu, shares what the initiative means to her:
“I truly believe that empowering women will end the cycle of poverty. Our artisans have demonstrated the passion and commitment needed to make a change within their lives and within their children and grandchildren’s lives. They come to work with happy hearts, an eagerness to learn and a willingness to become a better person each and every day. My dream is for the women to have their own thriving businesses one day. I want their lives to change for the better.”
If you are interested in purchasing or selling our products in your country, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. We may even be able to arrange a special delivery via DHL, for visitors or friends returning home from Zambia!
How it works
When a woman joins our sewing circle, she has a four-month paid training period. After this, she gets a share of the group's profits—80% of which go to the Women's Sewing Circle, and 20% of which are reinvested in Baobuyu Learning Center's community development programs. Because of this, the work they do benefits them and their families directly, but also impacts the wider community they live in.
Our Craft
Meet the Artisans
Memory
"Through different workshops, I’ve learned the importance of saving, which has helped me achieve my dreams of owning land and beginning to build my own house! Being a member of the ‘Sewing Circle’ has given me a sense of purpose, independence, and motivation.
I am proud that I have gone from knowing nothing about sewing to being able to share my knowledge and train other women in the circle. I am passing on the skills I have learned to my daughter to help her grow her future. I have the courage to be a strong, independent, and unshakable woman who is a good role model to other single mothers in the community.
My hope for the future is to see my daughter, Lydia, finish school and go to college."
Betty
"I’ve always had a passion for hand-sewing. As part of the Sewing Circle, I’ve learned how to use a sewing machine, cut patterns, set targets and grow in confidence. It’s given me a sense of belonging. My biggest achievement is teaching myself how to make our aprons! Every day I am growing more and more in my sewing skills, one day I hope to be able to make the school uniforms for Baobuyu. I want to use my sewing skills to show girls and young women at home and in the community they too can achieve anything they'd like with hard work.
In the future, I’d like to finish building my house and continue providing for my family. I’d love to buy my own sewing machine one day, too."
Alice
"I joined the Sewing Circle having no experience and no idea about sewing, but even in a short time, I have learned a lot of skills. I love being part of the group and being able to work alongside the other women. We support each other to learn and grow.
My hope when joining the circle was to earn enough money to purchase my own plot of land. This would give my family and future generations security and independence from renting.
So far, I have been able to buy over 26 goats and 3 cows back in my village! I’ve even been able to put in a fence to keep them safe! I love beginning my own little farm while saving for my own plot of land."
Phares
"I enjoy working with a close team of women. I’m thankful for the opportunity to pass these skills on to my children. I take the empowerment I feel here, as part of the circle, home with me. I’ve decided to go back to school part-time, pushing myself to finish my secondary education. The Sewing Circle makes me a better mother and a better member of the community. In the future, I’d like to become self-sufficient and buy a settlement for my family where I can grow potatoes, plant vegetables and keep chickens. My main goal is to uplift other women in the community and those who are vulnerable, like orphans and older people."
Belitha
"I’ve found a passion for sewing and I’m thankful for this opportunity. My proudest achievement, so far, is adding ‘poppers’ to all the reusable pads. I did this during my first few days of being in the circle.
I enjoy working together with the other women in the circle. We all support each other and have a job in the process of making our products. I especially like sewing the tote bags and putting on the zipper pulls for our travel bags.
With the proceeds so far, I have been able to buy my own plot of land and begin building! My hope for the future is to move into my own property one day and raise chickens. I can’t wait to see Blessing, my daughter, grow and finish preschool at Baobuyu."
Fridah
"The sewing circle has changed my life. Before, I was working as a maid, earning very little money. As a single mother, I have always worked hard to provide for my two children. I have always had a passion for sewing, so in the nights, I would sew Christmas ornaments for the Sewing Circle to make a little extra money. It pushed me to want to do more, and so I joined and couldn’t be happier. I have not only been able to provide for my children but also my family members, and even save a little money!
I hope by the end of next year, I will have saved enough money to buy land and begin building a house of my own! I want the best for my children, the Sewing Circle provides a way to work hard and provide for them."
Mercy
"I joined the Women’s Sewing Circle because I want a better life for myself and my children. Before I was a maid working long hours for little pay. Now I have found a group of women who support each other every day to become independent. I am very excited to learn sewing because it will show me a new skill I can use to support myself and my children.
I want to build a better future working together with people. In time, I hope to one day begin building my own home so my children can grow up safe and strong, knowing they can do anything they put their mind to."
Gigi
"I worked as a maid before starting my training but I was always interested in the sewing circle. The women are very supportive and opened up their space to let me join. I want to make something of myself, to impress my children, and to set a good example that their mother can work hard and be independent.
I really love being at Baobuyu and all the activities happening here, and most of all learning from other women sewing to support ourselves and our families. I started out tracing and cutting for the Christmas ornaments and now I am good! I am enjoying learning a new skill to help me in the future."
