Sephari - Geometric Patterned Basket

Hidden away in Manzini, Swaziland, is a small business that has transformed the lives of some of the country`s poorest families. Eswatini Swazi Kitchen is a remarkable place where a team of women of all ages makes the most delicious jams, chutneys and atchars, all produced to stringent international quality and safety standards. Eswatini (which means `made in Swaziland`) was set up in 1991 by a Catholic priest and an Anglican nun, to create jobs in Swaziland and generate income for Manzini Youth Care (MYC), a non-governmental organization. It is staffed entirely by local women from disadvantaged areas, and buys all the fruit and vegetables from local rural farmers. The gift baskets are made from Lutindzi grass woven by up to 200 women in remote mountain villages, and the wooden spoons for the gift packs are carved by a local group of disabled adults. In addition, Eswatini is a major source of finance for MYC, which comprises four children`s homes caring for and educating more than 100 street children and orphans in Manzini.