ABOUT US
COMMUNTIES INVOLVED |HISTORY |FAIRLY TRADED |COUNTRY PROFILE

HISTORY

Eswatini (meaning ‘in Swaziland’) Swazi Kitchen was set up in 1991 by a Catholic priest, Father Larry McDonnell and an Anglican nun Sister Judith Dean O.B.E., to create employment in Swaziland for disadvantaged communities, and to generate income for Manzini Youth Care, a non-government organization caring for children affected by HIV/AIDS.

Eswatini has grown from a small cottage industry to a successful project producing quality products exported to 14 international destinations including Japan, Europe, U.K, America and Australia. Eswatini Swazi Kitchen is wholly owned by Manzini Youth Care. The board of Management is comprised of local business people who give freely and generously of their time.

In 1991, an Australian volunteer, Jo Edward-Cole accepted an assignment from Fr. Larry and Sr. Judith in Swaziland to start a jam production project. Her mission was to create employment for disadvantaged women, provide a market for small local farmers and rural families who harvested wild fruit (especially guava and marula), and the profit generated by the business would provide an income for Manzini Youth Care to support orphans. She started with 5 women from disadvantaged backgrounds who were desperate to earn money for their families. The small, industrious team worked in a one room kitchen and they covered every part of the production process: when they needed extra fruit, the women left their pots and went out to pick. Their first product was atchar - made from local garden surplus. Through trial and error the ladies worked out recipes and quantities, which they bottled and sold at a road side stall. The locals loved it! From here they started making and selling other products in a local store keen to support the enterprising team. Within two years the project was breaking even and reaching its goal of employing disadvantaged women, but it was still not making profit to help feed, cloth and educate the orphans of Manzini Youth Care.

In 1992 Mildred Henwood joined as a food technologist to develop the recipes, assist with training the ladies and look at increasing sales and customers. Although sales continued to be slow - they were consistent. When Jo, a mainstay of the project, returned home to Australia in 1993, she continued to be a great supporter of Eswatini and helped initiate the project’s first big international order from Oxfam, Australia: a full pallet of jars! At this time, Mildred became manager and Eswatini added new staff extending the team to nine. Everyone pulled together to fulfill the order. Local farmers were very supportive and provided surplus fruit for free to help the project get established. Through sister Judith, Oxfam in England heard news of Eswatini, and a representative came to visit the project resulting in more orders. On this visit, the Oxfam rep brought some publications related to Fair Trade, and through these magazines, Mildred contacted the Dutch Fair Trade organization.

In 1996 the Dutch sent a delegation to visit Eswatini, who were impressed by what the small project had achieved thus far. They became good customers and have been a valuable and supportive development partner. They recognized that training was critical to develop Eswatini’s international business capacity, and provided ongoing support in business management, logistics, computer training, presentation and public speaking, food technology and laboratory analysis, packaging and exporting – all the key areas needed to create a professional business. All the ladies working at the factory were given tutoring in basic literacy, with those in key positions receiving computer training.

1997 brought an Irish volunteer accountant to Eswatini for 2 years, enabling Mildred to fully focus on marketing Eswatini to international customers. During this time sales really started to show an impressive increase, further extending Eswatini’s production capacity. By now about 15 women were employed by Eswatini. Each year the factory has been able to recruit more women as sales have continued to grow. 1998 saw the significant step of introducing HACCP for Eswatini – encouraged and supported by Fair Trade, Netherlands. HACCP compliance enables Eswatini to compete internationally with real confidence, responding to international food industry and export requirements.

Besides making delicious jams and chutney, Eswatini has been able to incorporate some of the traditional crafts of rural Swaziland into their production, through introducing grass baskets as packaging for a gift range. The idea of selling a gift range, uniquely packaged in the hand woven grass baskets, inspired the creation of the ‘basket group’ – rural women weaving platted Lutinzi grass into attractive baskets. Since 1993 nearly 400 women are employed in their own homes, to produce the gift packs, and Eswatini buys directly from the ladies. To complement the gift pack and again provide employment for another disadvantaged group, disabled men and women who receive training from a vocational training project carve small wooden spoons for inclusion in the gift pack – featuring stylized motives of well-known African animals.

The popularity of the gift baskets inspired Eswatini to introduce other examples of Swazi weaving into their range of products. In 2003, recognising the unique beauty of traditional Swazi weaving, Eswatini established a new employment opportunity for another group of rural women, weaving decorative baskets from natural sisal fibre (obtained from indigenous cactus leaves). These are truly stunning works of art and are increasing in demand. Recognising and responding to an increasing international trend for ethical consumerism, Eswatini is continuing to foster and supply the demand for quality products that are fairly traded, empowering local communities to build sustainable futures.

The Eswatini story reaches many parts of the small Kingdom of Swaziland. Each year the product range has added exciting new tastes and tempting innovations to boast an impressive range of over 30 delicious jams, marmalades, atchars, chutneys and sauces, and stunning, traditional woven baskets. Mildred Henwood, the project’s manager for 14 years, has nurtured the growth of Eswatini Swazi Kitchen into a successful international business, passionately committed to the philosophy and practice of fair trade.

As the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Swaziland continues to have a serious and long ranging impact on the country, Eswatini Swazi Kitchen’s mission is even more vital to the people of Swaziland. By providing employment for marginalized women and a market for local producers, Eswatini is tackling poverty at the grass roots - through equitable and sustainable trade. And through its success, Eswatini’s profits make it possible for Manzini Youth Care to provide a home, food, education and care for the orphans and street children whose lives are so dramatically affected by the pandemic. Your support makes our mission achievable.