GRASS ROOTS - FINALIST
SWAZILAND


Grass Roots

Swaziland is a country with an HIV infection rate approaching 50 per cent of its population of 1.1 million people. Many male breadwinners have died or gone to South Africa in search of work. The burden of supporting families falls to mothers and grandmothers. The Gone Rural handicrafts business was started by English expatriate Jennifer Thorne to provide a sustainable income for 700 women and their dependents - an average of seven for each woman.

Gone Rural's success enables it to employ a staff of 18 women and four men at its workshop in Malkerns. For nearly 3 out of 4 women working for the outsourcing enterprise, Gone Rural is the only chance of a cash income. The handicrafts themselves are mainly woven goods made from the robust lutindzi mountain grass.

Gone Rural has now established a niche in the domestic market, helping to turn back a tide of bootleg 'Swazi' handicrafts imported from other African countries. Gone Rural's business ethos goes well beyond being an outsourcing enterprise: it also provides AIDS education and advice on market gardening to help the women supplement the family income.

2006 finalist 2006 finalist 2006 finalist
«
»

2010

The Only Way is Up - Philippines A Class Apart - Guatemala Pass it on - Peru Burn After Eating - India Charge of the Light Brigade - Rwanda Cyber Capital - Denmark Double Boiled - Kenya Growth Cycle - Zambia In a Nutshell - Malawi Ok Coral - Tanzania One Reef at a Time - Madagascar Saving From a Rainy Day - Mexico

2009

Safe Bottle Lamp Project - Sri Lanka Danamon Go Green - Indonesia Fungi Town - United States Afghan Hands - Afghanistan Andaman Discoveries - Thailand Barefoot Women Solar Engineers of Africa - India Biogas as an alternative source of energy - Kenya Cheetah Conservation Fund Bush Project - Namibia Comet-ME - Israel - Palestine Mootral - Uk Stoves for Survival - the Democratic Republic of Congo

2008

Plan Bee - Pakistan A Chance to Grow - Nepal Homegrown Heroes - Paraguay Change is Brewing - South Africa Cliffhanger - India Comunidade Film - Brazil Green Gold - Colombia Independence Day - India Maasai Production - Kenya Market economy - Kenya Sole Traders - Kenya Yurt Kindergartens - Kyrgyzstan

2007

Potato Goldmine - Peru Cooking Without Gas - Nepal School for Success - Haiti Half Price Hygiene - Uganda Herbal Healing - Vietnam High Sweet Fashion - Mexico Limbs From Leftovers - Nepal Out of the Forest - Brasil Peace Woods - Colombia S.O.S: Save our Seaweed - Brazil Steaming Ahead - Indonesia Top of the Crops - Afghanistan

2006

Elephant Paper - Sri-Lanka Card Aid - Rwanda Well Water - Bangladesh Blooming Business - Mauritius/Madagascar Fireproof Juice - Sweden Grass Roots - Swaziland Making a Buzz - Rodrigues/Mauritius Powering Up - Ethiopia Shark Park - Fiji Silicon Salvage - UK Sunny Side Up - Laos Wild Child - Botswana

2005

Coconets - Phillipines Fat Chance - Malta Reef Rehab - Vanuatu A Chilli Reception - Zambia Basket Case - Kenya Bugs Money - Kenya Dye-ing For Change - UK & Slovenia Lucky Birds - Spain Men Not At Work - South Africa My Big Fat Ethical Wedding - USA Rooftop Revolution - Ukraine Snakes Alive - India

Follow us

linkedin facebook