If you have a black Singer sewing machine with a round bobbin (either hand operated, with electric motor attached or treadle operated) and want it to have a good home, please get in touch with us. We are currently sending these machines to our projects in Africa.

You can either email us telling us where you live and giving us a phone number, or you can ring us on 023 8086 9697. If you’re unable to bring your sewing machine to Netley Marsh (near Southampton), we’ll put you in touch with a Tools for Self Reliance tool collector in your area who will arrange collection.

We also need money to be able to send these machines to Africa. Just £40 will pay to ship one refurbished sewing machine and haberdashery kit to a tailor in Ghana or Malawi that will enable her to earn a living.

Donate now

Thank you!

The BBC is showing the second of two film reports charting the journey of a sewing machine from Hampshire to Malawi and several points in between, including Netley Marsh. You can catch it on the regional news programme South Today between 6.40 and 7.00 pm today (Tuesday).

Earlier this morning Roger Finn talked about the making of the films on the Julian Clegg breakfast show on BBC Radio Solent. The interview starts about 1 hour 54 minutes in (just drag the slider) and lasts about four minutes.

Watch last night’s film again (it starts at about 6.43 pm).

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 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.

Partnership Development Officer

The post-holder will:

• develop new and existing partnerships with appropriate African organisations
• develop, manage, monitor and evaluate projects with partners
• manage the tool sending process with partners and colleagues.

You will need:

• practical experience or knowledge of rural development, ideally with artisans or micro-enterprise
• to enjoy working with all kinds of people, from UK volunteers to African artisans
• to be ready to spend up to ten weeks per year working with partners in Africa.

This is a fixed term two-year contract with the possibility of it becoming a permanent position.
Salary £24K, 10% non-contributory pension and 25 days holiday.

Job description/person specification

(17 KB)

Application form (pdf)

(80 KB)

Application form (Word version)

(37 KB)

If you are interested in this vacancy please submit your completed application form by post or email to Jan Kidd at ceo@tfsr.org.

The deadline for receipt of applications is 18 March 2010. Interviews for shortlisted candidates will be held on 30 March.

Tools for Self Reliance
Netley Marsh
Southampton
SO40 7GY

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.

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.

Fairtrade Fortnight 22 Feb to 7 March – The Big Swap

For the next two weeks why not swap your usual stuff for Fairtrade stuff? – bananas for Fairtrade bananas, cotton socks for Fairtrade cotton socks, and a cuppa for a Fairtrade cuppa. As supporters of Fairtrade we at Tools for Self Reliance would like you to do your bit too. Support fair trade and check out the Big Swap website to see what you can do.

Tools for Self Reliance on the BBC

The BBC is showing the second part of a two part film following the journey of a donated sewing machine from the UK to Malawi. Time 6.40 to 7.00 pm today (Tuesday 9 March). View part 1 via the BBC South Today website (use the slider to get to the right place – it starts at about 6.43 pm).

World Water Day

Monday 22 March is the UN’s World Water Day the purpose of which is to raise awareness about global water quality and water management challenges and how they can be addressed. For more information visit the World Water Day website.

Tools for Self Reliance is helping in the construction of a small-scale water project in Nepal.

Birthday party and AGM

This year’s special 30th birthday gathering and Annual General Meeting will be on Saturday 22 May. Further details to come.

Netley Marsh – how to find us

If you’re coming to any of the events at Netley Marsh or just want to pop in, this is where we are.

A reminder that the offices and workshop at Netley Marsh are open Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. We’re closed on bank holidays.

We would like to thank all our supporters for making 2009 another great year. From everyone at Netley Marsh, a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!