- WoW bags
The Women of Wenceslao (WoW) have inspired the women of Winchester!
WoW is an ecological livelihood project for a small group of women living in Wenceslao, a resettlement community in Pampanga, a province on the largest island in the Philippines devastated by a volcanic eruption followed by flooding. The women make bags from the many juice packs which litter the place.
So what happens to produce a WoW bag? Firstly some women collect the used juice packs. They get them from hospitals, schools or from the road where people have discarded them. The packs are then washed and sorted by size and colour. Other women and their family members help with this task. They also sort the packs into different colours and brands.
Other supplies needed for the bags like the thread, zips, trimming for the edges, buckles etc all have to come from Manila. This is a 3 hour + trip each way. It is all purchased in a huge market called Divisioria and then brought back to the province by public transport.
As orders are received some women prepare what is needed to make them so that the others can then collect the right amount of materials and in the right colour combinations.
With the supplies sorted out the women of Wenceslao are ready to start sewing the bags. The women work from their own homes therefore ensuring minimal disruption to family routines. They can decide how many bags they wish to make and when they want to make them. When the order is finished they are quality checked before leaving the village.
The bags are ecological, they remove waste plastic from the environment. Their colours and character brighten the day and are a joy to use. You are buying more than a bag from WoW, this is fair trade at is best.
This project has excited and inspired our club. We take every opportunity to show and sell the bags both locally and to other members of SI. We have spread the word to other regions and even another Federation - at least as far as Norway!