GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK (GNB)

An initiative of the British High Commission in Maputo, implemented by Karingana Textiles and Woogui, that aims to boost a sustainable fashion eco-system in Mozambique.
In 2019, this initiative received around 70 applications from young designers, from Maputo and Beira, for a sustainable fashion competition ´Made in Mozambique´. Out of these, 10 were finalists that participated in a series of workshops around sustainable design practices to create sustainable designed outfits for an exhibition. Between 2020-2021 the finalists attended various online training sessions to increase their knowledge in English, Sustainable Fashion and Creative Entrepreneurship. In November 2021, a social media campaign inspired by COP26, was launched to raise awareness about climate change and conclude the project.

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COMMUNITY MASK PRODUCTION

To respond to the Covid-19 Pandemic we joined forces with a group from the private sector and SMEs to come up with solutions to alleviate its impact.
In April 2020 there was a shortage of medical masks in the country so we designed a solution that would help small tailors keep their businesses while supplying masks to the people. With the emergency state, almost all the clothing and accessories orders were cancelled, and we wanted to make sure the tailors in our value chain kept working. We developed a system where kits with materials to produce masks could be prepared by us and sent out to tailors to ensure better production consistency and compliance with standards. In partnership with Biscate, an online platform that links informal workers to clients, a series of mask production activities took place in Maputo, Gaza, Manica and Nampula. Using this community production model we produced around 20,000 masks for Karingana and other companies and institutions like Standard Bank, CDM, Grindrod and UNFPA.

MADE IN MARATANE

Karingana Textiles is the 1st Mozambican Local Social Enterprise to be part of the platform MADE51, a platform by UNHCR that puts refugee-made products into the global market.
Our team has been working with a group of artisans from the Maratane Refugee Camp in Nampula since 2020, developing skills and products to be commercialized by Made 51 and in Mozambique. The 1st phase of the project included training for the artisans where we explored natural dyeing, embroidery, sewing, weaving symbology, storytelling, and current trends. We have now entered the second stage of the project where products are being developed to be commercialized in the national and international market.

AXINENE ARI VAVA

Meaning “We are the owners, and we are here!” is a women’s collective based on the Island of Mozambique producing textiles made from scratch, with love, labor and laughter. Using natural and upcyclable materials, to develop boutique collections of textiles and products that are ‘Ilha unique’.
Since December 2020 we have been working with a group of 15 women, learning some techniques like embroidery, natural dyeing and weaving. We want to reestablish and expand the traditional art practices that have been lost and hindered by the lack of generational continuity, technique, resources, among others. In the process we have been empowering the women to own their history and culture and celebrate their stories that are beautifully translated into their creations.

M’ARTESANATO

In collaboration with the Maputo National Park, and the support of the Irish Fund, we are exploring how through crafts we can help the community in the buffer zone minimize the problem of waste found along the beaches in that area while giving an alternative for livelihood which will also minimize the human-wildlife conflict.
With our proposed methodology we are passing on skills that will allow this communities to learn a new craft, increase awareness about environmental impact of plastic waste, reduce plastic waste and create a platform for them to share their cultural identity through storytelling and the products they create, working with a group of 15-20 people including the young girls from the environment club for a period of 8 months.

KU PAKAMA

Is a research and mapping of indigenous and medicinal plants in Mozambique, more specifically in the areas of Matutuine, Marracuene (Maputo), Tofo (Inhambane), Ilha de Moçambique and Maratane (Nampula). It intends to create sacred textiles that apply indigenous knowledge to natural materials, with an African aesthetic.
This project also looks to elevate indigenous healing knowledge and create textiles that can be aesthetically beautiful and embed the healing properties of these plants, to answer to some of the health needs in African communities. Aware of the crescent trends around wellbeing and natural practices we Re-propose traditional medicine in textile form as an attempt to break some of the taboos associated with these practices.