News Items

Join the Craft 2 Craft group at Tools for Self Reliance for its next sale of handicrafts. Lots of lovely items for sale including patchwork and special fabrics, haberdashery, notions, yarns and threads, tapestry, embroidery and cross stitch items, all at bargain prices. The group will also be selling its handmade Christmas cards and gifts.

Every pound raised will help to transform lives. The sale will include donated items unsuitable for Africa. Proceeds from the sale will be used to support women’s projects in Africa, enabling women to become self sufficient and support their families and communities.

Entry cost £2 pp and includes tea/coffee and a raffle ticket.

Details: Saturday 16 October, 10 til 3, Tools for Self Reliance, Ringwood Road, Netley Marsh, Southampton SO40 7GY. Click here for directions.

Please note the premises are unsuitable for children.

Enquiries: phone – 023 8086 9697 or email

VOLUNTEER VACANCIES

We are recruiting for an assistant fundraiser and an assistant partnership worker.

Assistant fundraiser

We are looking for a volunteer assistant fundraiser to work full or part-time for 6 to 12 months.

In particular we’re looking for help with:

• researching new sources of funding to enlarge the donor database
• working with churches to increase their involvement with Tools for Self Reliance
• organising community fundraising events.

Please scroll down for further details, including how to apply.

Assistant partnership officer

We are looking for a volunteer assistant partnership officer to work full or part-time for 6 to 12 months.

The main purpose of the role is to assist the Partnership Officers to work with partner organisations to enable them to assist artisans in Africa to develop livelihood opportunities.

In particular the tasks include:

• Liaising, and developing working relationships, with partners, potential partners and other overseas organisations.
• Developing links with other UK development organisations working in the same areas as Tools for Self Reliance.
• Administering and managing the UK end of projects, including processing tool requests.
• Providing information about the artisan support programme to other staff members for fund raising and public awareness.

There may also be opportunities to help with developing partner projects, and with monitoring and evaluation.
———————————————————————————————————————
We are a small, friendly, NGO helping African artisans. We have a volunteer network in the UK refurbishing tools and sewing machines for the development projects of our partners in African countries.

You will gain valuable experience and learn new skills while helping some of the poorest people in Africa.

We are located in a semi-rural area on the edge of the New Forest, close to Southampton. We can offer free accommodation in our shared house.

Fundraising Assistant – task description
Partnership Assistant – task description

To apply for either post write to Jan Kidd at Tools for Self Reliance, Netley Marsh, Southampton SO40 7GY, email jan@tfsr.org or call 023 8086 9697. Please make it clear which post you are interested in.

Join us for a night of fundraising and celebration!

We celebrate our 30th birthday this autumn in spectacular style with an exclusive buffet dinner on the waterside in Southampton.

The centrepiece of the evening will be an auction of promises and we have lots of surprises in store. Our aim is to raise lots of money – money that is urgently needed to enable us to support rural businesses in Africa and give people control over their own lives. And we’d like your help. Every promise that goes under the hammer will nudge us towards our fundraising target. Every pound we make will help to transform lives.

The other aim is of course to have lots of fun. We are very excited about the evening – we hope you are too. If you want to be part of it you’re going to have to hurry! Contact our ticket hotline now as spaces are strictly limited.

Tickets cost £35 each and may be bought by debit/credit card or by cheque, and must be bought in advance.

Details: Thursday 28 October, Kuti’s Royal Thai Pier, Southampton
Ticket hotline: phone – 023 8086 9697, email – info@tfsr.org

Lydia’s dream machine

Tools for Self Reliance has been working with various partners, including the University of Sussex and Rotary Clubs, on a project to support seamstresses and carpenters at a vocational training centre in Lilongwe, Malawi.

Earlier this year BBC cameras tracked the progress of one of our refurbished sewing machines as it made its way 8,000 km from Winchester. The resulting film reports were screened on the BBC’s South Today, which you can see again by clicking on the link below.

Scrap sculpture challenge

Metal recycling took on a new meaning at this year’s AGM with Tools for Self Reliance’s inaugural scrap sculpture challenge. The standard of the work was just amazing. Thank you to everyone who took part. We hope to display one or more of the sculptures as part of a photographic exhibition later in the year to celebrate our 30th birthday. In the meantime here are the entries. Click on the picture to enlarge the image:

African woman by Mary Smith

Nothing’s impossible by Roy Barnard

Garden man by Bob White

Egret by Bob White

Tools for peace by Colin Knight

Spinning Jenny by Jenny Barnard

Pat fulfils personal dream

Rotarian Pat Colbourne (69) from Bath has just started out on a 5,000 mile walk around the UK in aid of five charities, including Tools for Self Reliance. Pat’s mammoth walk began at Dover Castle on 6 April. He is walking clockwise and hopes to complete the 5,000 miles in April 2012.

Photo courtesy of Richard Riley

We’re thrilled Pat has chosen us to be one of his charities and we will be supporting him all the way. You might even catch Pat walking by in his yellow Tools for Self Reliance top!

To check Pat’s progress go to his online diary page where you can also sponsor him. Just click on the link below.

Pat’s coast walk website

Rotary Clubs and us

Economic independence for women in Sierra Leone

Freetown, Sierra Leone

Monday 8 March was International Women’s Day – a day of global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women past and present. Here at Tools for Self Reliance we continue to work with women’s groups across Africa to help them achieve economic independence.

One such group is based in Freetown, Sierra Leone where 50 tailoring trainees are getting up to a year’s training through our partner the Baptist Women’s Union. The sewing machines used for the training are supplied by Tools for Self Reliance. As well as this, the women also get training in life skills and micro-entrepreneurial skills.

What is crucial is that the support continues after the trainees leave. In Freetown the women are learning to work together so they can set up as fully functioning tailoring cooperatives once trained. They will even get start-up sewing kits provided by Tools for Self Reliance. Finally the girls are also being encouraged to take on some of the responsibility of finding business premises.
Julie Sesay, BWU President says:

I have already started to engage trainees to identify vacant shops or pieces of land so that we contact and negotiate with the owners or the Freetown City Council Management.

Learning about life the hard way - Davie’s story

The Samaritan Trust is one of Tools for Self Reliance’s partners in Malawi working with street children in Blantyre. On a recent visit we met Davie. Here’s his amazing story.

Davie with his new toolkit

Davie Chiku (19) told us about the help he received through the Samaritan Trust’s vocational training project which is being supported by Tools for Self Reliance. Davie spent two and a half years at TST’s skills development centre on Chikwawa Road and his life literally turned around.

When I was 16 home life was bad. I didn’t have school necessities and I went days without food. I was also beaten by several members of my family.

Things were so bad that Davie ran away from home. He suffered intimidation and abuse on the streets of Blantyre where he slept rough for 6 months. He just about scraped together a living from piece-work and begging.

I offered to guard people’s cars and earned a bit of money this way. The beatings continued. My friends were at school. I wondered if I’d die without getting an education. My future was not good.

Then Davie had a lucky break. One of TST’s social workers found him and offered him the chance of a different life which Davie was quick to grab. At the start things were tough, as all Davie had known were violence and threats. But slowly he learnt about relationships and mutual respect. He learnt about the dangers of HIV/AIDS and how to reduce the risks to himself and others. He acquired a new set of skills in carpentry and was given his own Tools for Self Reliance toolkit which he now uses to repair and make furniture. And what’s more, with TST’s help Davie was able to patch things up at home and return to live with his family.

Davie is now optimistic about the future. With his new-found skills, tools and self-confidence he’s now got another chance – one he fully intends to take.

My life has really improved. I don’t see any challenges I can’t overcome.

Do you have a gift?

Do you have a special talent or knowledge of a craft? Are you fortunate enough to own a vintage car, impressive motorbike or even a boat? Or do you know someone who does?

If so, would you or they be willing to give up anything, from a few hours a day, in aid of Tools for Self Reliance?
We are seeking items for our auction of promises to help celebrate our 30th birthday this year.

We need exciting, novel and interesting things for people to bid for to help raise money for us. These could include a day of sailing on the Solent, a ride through the New Forest in a vintage car, half a day of painting tuition, a hot air balloon ride, or even a promise of a few hours ironing!

Any ideas or offers very welcome. Please email Nicky.

Need help with your fundraising?

Hundreds of our volunteers get involved in fundraising activities each year. And now more than ever we need you to join in. If you would like to do some fundraising for us but would like some help to get started here are a couple of places you could look for some free advice.

We have our own fundraising pack with lots of ideas to get your imagination going. There is also a dedicated Institute of Fundraising website where you can find lots more help and links to other resources. Just click on the How2Fundaise logo below.

‘Restoring humanity’ in post conflict zone

A vocational training centre in northern Uganda is changing lives thanks to Tools for Self Reliance. Over a thousand tools are being used by self-employed builders and carpenters who have returned to Kitgum and Lamwo Districts of northern Uganda after 20 years of civil war.

They are learning new skills which include dry stone walling, building with interlocking stabilised soil blocks, and joinery. And as a consequence Agoro Vocational Institute has seen a flurry of new facilities appear which will benefit future generations of students.

One of two new teaching blocks take shape

Christopher Singer of the British Consultancy Charitable Trust, with whom we are working closely on this project, said:

The quality of tools is massively in advance of others locally available and will contribute to the government request to implement a better standard of living. … Tools for Self Reliance and their volunteers can be assured that they are making a direct contribution to the restoring of humanity in a very difficult post conflict zone.

Make Poverty History - the novel

By John Madeley, author

As one of the agencies in the Make Poverty History campaign coalition in 2005, I thought you may be interested in an account of the campaign told in a different way – through a novel.

I am a journalist and author, and covered most of the national Make Poverty History events in 2005, including the G8 summit at Gleneagles. I was also involved in local campaigning.

The novel Beyond Reach? employs a fact-cum-fiction plot to tell a witty story of how a feisty young married woman inspires a church minister to join the campaign. The result is an explosive mix that takes them into a world that neither bargained for. Their relationship energises them for the campaign, leading them to an exposé of government duplicity, of how the claims made about more aid and debt relief were far from all they seemed.

The debt relief came with strings attached and there was not much of it – four years later, only about 20 per cent of developing country debt has been wiped out – and the aid increase included money for debt relief. There was huge double counting, and the government was slow to act on climate change which is reinforcing poverty.

This is also a story about forbidden love and the meaning of life. The relationship of the book’s two main characters is set against a background of faithfulness, commitment, weakness and opportunity.

I draw on almost 50 years experience of campaigning on development issues to pack the book full of campaigning ideas.

This is a book for anyone who supported the Make Poverty History campaign, who bought a wrist band, or who just wants a good read about one of the most important issues of our time.

Royalties from the book go to agencies working to eradicate poverty.

Beyond Reach? is published by Longstone Books, 239 pages, price £9.99. ISBN: 978-0-9554373-7-3.

The book is available direct from me, or from all good bookshops.

e-mail: john.madeley@gmail.com
website: www.JohnMadeley.co.uk

‘A revealing story about a scandal of our time, witty, sharp – and above all urgent’ – Rosie Boycott

‘Beyond Reach? is a wonderful tribute to all those ordinary people who take action against the scandal of global poverty. For those of us who took part in the Make Poverty History campaign, it’s also great to revisit the experience of that year’ – John Hilary

‘A gripping and inspiring story of forbidden love and the struggle for justice. In a hundred years people will look back on our culture of greed and realise books like this helped change the world’ – David Rhodes

Lending a helping hand

Volunteers from the Ordnance Survey put down their maps and computer mice for a day and joined our regular volunteers at Netley Marsh workshop to lend a helping hand.

Rick Hunt and his five colleagues were kept busy breaking up packing crates to supply wood for more toolkit boxes and cutting back the long grass and weeds around the site. It’s all part of a scheme whereby Ordnance Survey employees get a chance to volunteer for a day for their favourite good cause.

The OS’s Rick Hunt gets stuck in

Kathie Dunnings, another volunteer, said “It’s been brilliant fun. I’d like to put Tools for Self Reliance forward as our charity of the year next year.”

Rick, Kathie (3rd from right) and the rest of the gang

Made in Ghana

Winchester based Centre for Global Awareness has bought 100 recycled bags made by our Ghanaian partner Girls Growth In Development. The bags are being given to the delegates at an Education for Sustainable Development conference to hold their fairtrade samples, books and leaflets.

The bags are made by GIGDEV trainees from reclaimed discarded plastic water sachets (this is the normal way to buy drinking water in Ghana) using refurbished sewing machines provided by Tools for Self Reliance.

Civic heads visit Netley Marsh

Councillor Les Puttock (centre) and other civic heads with CEO Jan Kidd – front right

Civic heads from across Hampshire and Dorset visited Netley Marsh in September for a tour of the workshop and to hear about the projects we’re supporting in Africa with the help of volunteers in the UK.

The visit was part of a civic day to celebrate the New Forest Produce marque. It was organised by the Chairman of New Forest District Council, Councillor Les Puttock who chose to showcase Tools for Self Reliance along with a small handful of other local enterprises.

Volunteer Brian Sharp chatting with the Chairman of Isle of Wight Council, Councillor Arthur Taylor and Mrs Doreen Taylor

Dressmaking scissors - yes please

Many hardworking tailors and seamstresses in Tanzania and Uganda are in better shape thanks to the business training that they have received through our projects. But there is a problem – many of those we want to support lack basic tools for the job, like a decent pair of dressmaker’s scissors.

Right now we are experiencing a surge in demand for heavy duty scissors and tailors shears – demand which we’re struggling to keep up with. We are dependent on tool donations in the UK for all the scissors we send to Africa. Can you help?

It doesn’t matter where you live. Phone us on 023 8086 9697 and we will put you in touch with your local tool Tools for Self Reliance tool collector. Thank you!

In celebration of volunteering

In Radio 4’s religion and ethics programme Something Understood, the BBC’s Mike Wooldridge celebrates the role of the volunteer in the company of Glyn Roberts, a founder member of Tools for Self Reliance.

The programme entitled Volunteer Vision was broadcast on Sunday 12 July and Sunday 19 July.

Listen again with BBC’s iPlayer

Building our common future

The UK White Paper on international development called Building our Common Future was published on 6 July, on the eve of the G8 summit in Italy. It sets out government plans to address world poverty over the next five years.

It contains a 12-point plan on sustainable growth, climate change, health, education and public services. Focusing in particular on conflict areas, the UK renews its commitment to increasing its development budget to 0.7% of Gross National Income by 2013.

Do you have an hour to spare?

On 6 July artist Anthony Gormley will unveil his eagerly anticipated living monument on the vacant fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square.

Tamsyn Kent, senior broadcast journalist for the BBC’s Breakfast News, said:

“To stand on The BBC Breakfast News Plinth you will have to have worked with others for one hour and have given something back to your community – your time, your skills or your knowledge.”

Every hour, 24 hours a day between 6 July and 14 October, a different person will step up to the fourth plinth and help make a living portrait of the UK. Remaining places will be drawn by computer and the next draw will take place on 1 August.

To register for the fourth plinth draw go to www.oneandother.co.uk/

Gardening tools? No thanks!

In case you’re wondering we don’t send gardening tools to Africa. This is because it would undermine the African blacksmiths we support. Also, most gardening tools are unsuitable for local conditions.

Do we have any other use for gardening tools? Well, generally no. We don’t have the capacity to store them or sell them on in any great numbers. But there are some exceptions – we occasionally sell gardening tools in the UK to raise much-needed funds in for our work in Africa. We also sell rarer green woodworking tools at specialist events around the country.

Please check with us first before donating your gardening tools and please don’t be offended if we say no.

Ilkley Wharfedale Rotary is having a sale of second-hand items, including gardening tools, in Otley on Sunday 10 May. See Forthcoming events.

ebay for charities

We are sometimes offered tools that we can’t send to Africa. Tools for Self Reliance is registered with ebay for Charities which allows items to be sold to benefit our work without incurring eBay fees.

If you want to sell occasionally to raise money for us then ebay for Charities is the place to go. If you want to sell regularly, please get in touch with us so that we can register you as one of our direct sellers. We can also offer lots of advice on how to be a successful ebay seller.

Please email Larry at larry@tfsr.org for more information.