Twls Ar Gyfer Hunanddibiaeth CYMRU - Tools for Self Reliance CYMRU

SI Port Talbot have been working in partnership with “Tools for Self Reliance Cymru” an organisation which refurbishes tools,sewing and knitting machines which are then sent to Tanzania where local people are taught to use the tools and set up workshops.

Club Members were pleased to welcome Tony Care to February’s Speaker Evening. Tony gave an illustrated talk on his work as co-ordinator for the project ; Members were pleased to see how a huge variety of tools and sewing machines are gathered and packed by volunteers into a container which was craned onto a lorry for transportation to Portbury Docks in Bristol and then shipped off to Dar es Salam, Tanzania.

Some two months later Tony and his team were at the dockyard to recieve and unload the container. Local groups have been trained to refurbish and make tools, to restore sewing machines etc and to help with their distribution to the remote regions of the country. There were numerous photographs to illustrate the work being carried out and the conditions endured by the team as they journeyed to many villages of the regions.

They welcome they recieved was incredible, so much could be gained by these communities with just a few tools provided. Tailors are trained and among many types of garments produced are new school uniforms for the village children. Old Singer sewing machines are prized possesions - so much more reliable than the Chinese Butterfly machines, available but so costly. Members saw how workshops are being established in the remote villages and local blacksmiths trained, so important to improve their economy. 

So much was demonstrated by touching slides which made members realize how important it is to continue the collections - Tony stressed so much is still needed and the organisation is in place to “collect, pack and dispatch”.

To learn more about the project , do visit our page “Tools for Self Reliance” which can be accessed from the menu to the left.