River Reeds

Meet the Ladies

Fair Trade Wedding Stationery is produced at Iziko Lo Lwazi in Hout Bay, Near Cape Town.  We have been connected with Iziko for a number of years since they started making products for our sister Company - Injabulo
Chrissie has got to know the ladies and the leaders well and when researching ideas for another product for the project she came up with the idea of a range of Wedding Stationery produced wholly by the project - something which we believe is a first.


Nonani hanging the paper out to dry
in the African sun


Zikona setting paper on the frames

As well as being papermakers the skills at the project have expanded and there is now a team of expert beaders.
You will find beads incorporated into two of our ranges

Cynthia,Mama Nokhaya and Nokhaya

This is the lovely Fezeka who looks after the admin and will be responsible for all the wording on the stationery


The ladies have successfully made paper for a number of years - the project originally started as an adult literacy project in the township of Imizamo Yethu and now provides a good livelihood for a number of families. Learning is a luxury when families need food so facilitiators decided to start a project which would enable students to learn while earning. Papermaking was chosen as the raw materials required were freely available and easy to come by, The equipment needed in the early stages was minimal. A large tin bath was bought, frames were donated, a pounding stick was unearthed in the woodpile and the project got under way. Initially waste paper from the local recycling centre was mixed with invasive river reed to make a beautifully textured paper.  Used Paper from a local bank is now donated and new textures have been developed which include Seaweed paper - using seaweed collected from the Atlantic beaches and Rooibos tea paper which incorporates dried tea leaves. Rooibos tea, River Reed and Seaweed are the three papers that form the basis of our Wedding Stationery Range.

 

 



Nosiphiwo sitting in the sun beading

Zikona,Nonani, and Nthombi- the papermakers

Jenni Fleetwood - Vice Chairman of the Project and some of the ladies

This is John who crafts the wire hearts and the place setting stands


Nokhaya Ndude's Story

 

Bukiswe's Story

 

Nokhaya Ngxakeni's Story

 

Fair Trade Wedding Stationery is produced at Iziko Lo Lwazi in Hout Bay, Near Cape Town.  We have been connected with Iziko for a number of years since they started making products for our sister Company - Injabulo

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