The Textile Studio sewing project started in 2012 as an afternoon club for women at the Tongabezi Trust School - mostly mothers of our students - who wanted to acquire basic stitching experience. Since 2012, the ladies have joined together to sew on a casual basis and produced basic items for the Tongabezi Lodge and Tongabezi School. In 2020, a curriculum and training programme was established with a qualified vocational skills trainer at the centre. We follow the national TEVETA (Technical Vocational Education and Training Authority) curriculum which includes practical and theoretical exams throughout.
Textile Studio
The Textile Studio has four main aims:
(1) To design, produce and sell high- quality products for the local and international market for financial sustainability of the centre
(2) Increase the employability, income and skills of women within Simonga by providing quality vocational training in a safe and professional environment
(3) To improve creativity, dexterity, and tailoring skills of current students at the Tongabezi Trust School to develop their future employment opportunities
(4) To centre all elements of project activity around environmental and socio-cultural sustainability through engaging in eco-friendly practices, as well as highlighting and making use of Indigenous Zambian Knowledge