Jabu Bags 101 · by Megan Yarema

The opportunity of an internship overseas holds many prospects for a student – adventure, cultural submersion, field experience, and a classroom where learning becomes practical and hands on. Part of my requirements as a student in the Master’s of Human Security and Peace-building program (MAHSP), was to engage in an internship, and this past August I departed on what would become an integral part of my career as a student and development worker.

Sent to Zimbabwe to work in the area of women’s rights, I was quickly re-directed to Swaziland after only three weeks in the city of Harare. Due to work permit issues (that can only be construed as a message from the Zimbabwe government meaning “no foreigners allowed”) I became a displaced volunteer along with two other Canadians. What ensued was six weeks of waiting as new placements were sought, and discussions over the return to Zimbabwe were debated. The end result was a decision to stay in Swaziland, were I am now living.

With time on my side, I began what is now known as “Jabu Bags”, an income-generating project where rural Swazi women sew cloth purses with African print. A bag I had made in Uganda (the original version was from Thailand) with African fabric lead to an idea that manifested itself into a project, and my own self-made internship.

Poverty in Swaziland is rampant, and with its misinformed status as a middle-income country, it is hard for funding to reach those on the ground. This is combined with the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world, and a shrinking workforce as more and more individuals are lost to the disease and other family members are left to find financial solutions. I recognized that my bag project could have a direct positive influence on communities, instead of the funds getting tied up in NGO bureaucracy or misdirection (which I had both witnessed since my arrival). After finding a sewing group in the eastern part of the country, buying some fabric at the local market, and securing my first store, within weeks of arrival my idea had come into being.

Focusing on empowerment, skill sharing, and poverty reduction, Jabu Bags became the internship that I couldn’t find. Now 16 women produce 45 bags a week, make above fair wages, and are able to buy the supplies necessary for their children to attend school. They work together in a one-room hut using hand crank machines to make the bags that are now for sale in Swaziland, parts of South Africa and Canada. The future plan is to establish Jabu Bags as a Socially Responsible Business and to organize sewing groups in other impoverished areas of the country so more women/communities can benefit.

While I was placed in a new internship position within Swaziland, it was clear that my focus was to be on Jabu Bags (“Jabu” meaning “happiness” in Siswati) and helping other rural communities benefit from a steady income, and fair wages. It also helped to shape my final master’s report, which will focus on the concept of a Socially Responsible Business, and how this model can help alleviate poverty in countries such as Swaziland.

In early October I returned to Vancouver, Canada in order to push this project forward. I’m in the process of registering the business, finding more stores and promoting our two new bags – a larger bag and a wine bag. I realized that our target market is North America in order for Jabu’s survival and growth. Because we are not funded, we have to focus on sales and expansion, and on this side of the world we have a larger market of people who are becoming more socially conscious and others interested in unique fashion pieces.

Without necessary funding projects like mine are slow to progress. This has both positive and negative benefits. It’s perfect in one way because the women who are involved are not machines. They cannot just create thousands of bags at a whim in order to fill a consumer need overseas. And this is not what is intended of the project. Our growth should be slow so they can get used to the sewing techniques required, teach others as needed, and also maintain their current lifestyle in their community. Quick expansion would not take the women’s needs into full consideration.

The negative part is that without funding we are constantly standing on a fine balance between fabric we buy for supply, and the stores that want to sell them. We have to limit what the women produce in a month (which limits their income potential) until we find enough stores to sell the bags and offer a continuous demand. Our bank account remains low and this means that saving for new machines takes time, and trying to build a proper workshop and community center for the women will require some large donations (that have yet to appear).

It also means the people involved (who I’ve nicknamed “Jabu Ambassador’s”) cannot get paid properly, myself included. We make a very small wage, but this means we need full time jobs in order to live in our respective cities in this modern lifestyle we are accustomed to. It’s not a major problem, but it does mean that Jabu cannot always take priority in terms of time, and quite often time and attention is exactly what the project requires to move into a new phase.

Now that I am home, I often wonder what the women are doing right now. I know they wait for me to return (which will likely be next year for a visit and to find someone to run the operations when our current project manager leaves), and are happy with the work they have. They don’t think too far into the future, so they are not worried about marketing strategies or what is happening in the global economy (unlike the rest of us!). They are content to sew the bags and have faith in the project, the team and me.

Pressure exists in the sense that the money they earn is all they have for income. It’s up to us to ensure its growth and sustainability because there is no social assistance in Swaziland. It doesn’t feel as heavy as it may sound to some…but we know that we need to move forward and have patience as we slowly figure out what direction to go in. Patience and trust in the future have been great guides on this journey.

I can honestly say I left for my internship with intentions of adventure and learning, and never once anticipated the turn of events that has become my life. I would say to those future interns gearing up for a term overseas to expect the unexpected. Sometimes, it’s more rewarding then the original plan.

To find out more go to jabubags.com