Melania Chisango
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Hello,
My name is Melania Chisango and I am a member of the original Weya Art community. Weya is a place in rural Zimbabwe where women, orphans and widows were taught how to draw, paint and sew by a German woman named Isle Noyes. She even built us a gallery in our area Chiendambuya to display our work. She empowered us and now our work is recognized globally. I was personally trained by Ilse in January 1998. She taught me how to paint boards, cups, trays, cans and fruit bowls but now I specialize in painting fabrics, embroidery and sewing.
Though our group is not as strong as we used to be, there are many of us who were taught these skills and many of us are still selling these products today. Today I work with my husband whose name is Promise Kayne.
We use non-toxic PVA paints and varnishes to paint. Our brushes are simple and our materials are sourced locally from manufacturers of boards, cups and other enamelware. For my applique I use fabric off cuts, buttons, threads and wood.
The biggest challenge we face like many other artisans in Zimbabwe is that middlemen source our products and low prices and sell them at very high prices. They will not come back if we change the prices so we are forced to keep prices the same even when other costs around us go up.
We have never personally exported products but some of our buyers do to countries like South Africa, UK and the US. We exhibit at exhibitions such as HIFA (Harare International festival of the Arts), tourism fairs, the national gallery and the National Handicraft Centre. We sell on cash or consignment depending on where were are selling.
My best seller is aprons because people love to use them in the kitchen. They also make very good gifts for mothers, grandmothers, aunts and sisters. We have been interviewed by the BBC which did a feature on our work.
This craft is our sole source of income and in spite of the challenges we have been extremely blessed by it. We hope people will continue to buy handmade products because for us, hands are free and no capital is needed. It is a God given gift to enable us to meet our goals in life.
I can be reached on +263 773 001 995 or at 11985 Eastview Park, Harare
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