Luso la Manja - The Crafts of Our Hands

Luso la manja. The crafts of our hands. A group of ten women who saw in themselves the ability to progress their community. Some are widows and nearly all support orphaned children in addition to their own families. It is through their hands that they chose to make a difference: to craft, create, and share a vision.

Luso la manja began in 2003 with the vision of one lady, Beatrice Zindondo. She found that caring for a household of nine, her own children, her parents, and three orphaned children, constrained the meager wage her husband provided. As Beatrice says, “it was such a big responsibility to care for these children. Sometimes months would pass without any support. Life was hard for me and my family to survive.” She decided to act. With the help of Katie Reichert, Peace Corps Volunteer at Chifira Community Day Secondary School, she started a sewing group to make bags from zitenge, and found the assistance she needed. Beatrice recruited a bevy of other women, ten in total, who sought a solution to their financial problems.

The women have a remarkable social harmony that has facilitated the business’ success. The women share the three sewing machines, communal style, and together they sew the bags each Tuesday afternoon. It’s an occasion to spend time together, chatting about their day, their extended family, and their interrelated lives. The sense of community and motivation that keeps the group in sync has helped recruit other members as well, and in the years since 2003, the group has grown. Group member Loyce Mtanwangwe says, “I gladly joined the group because I was struggling so much financially. Due to our group’s wish to boost our business I can continue to support my family and others in the community. I hope Malawi and her people will be on the map because of my and the group’s skills.”

Their sewing group became a business. Beginning with the help of Katie Reichert and continuing down the volunteer generations to the current volunteers Melanie Terrell and Russell Conroy. The role of the nearby volunteer has been to find markets for the women to sell their goods. The group has outfitted nearly every Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi with a bag to call their own. Markets go beyond the Peace Corps circle, but bear the mark of volunteer contact. Lodges along the lakeshore sell their wares and a shop located in Kande continues the brand legacy.

Profits are distributed based on who sewed the bags, but a portion of these funds go to support an early childhood development program located near Kande in Nkhotakhota District. Elestina Mwase is proud of the group’s work, “I am happy to be assisting the preschool, which is the foundation for bright futures. Personally, I believe education is a gateway to success. To be successful in life one must value education. I will be happy to have an educated house, a well developed village, and to make Malawi a poverty-free country and best nation to stay in.”