OUR MISSION STATEMENT

The weaverbirds and how we weave new futures:

It has long been said that all the social challenges present in a two tier economy such as our own would be alleviated if we addressed one cause and one cause only: hope.

Because.....

“When hope awakens, despair goes to sleep.”

This is a great philosophy that all sounds very good, but the reality of modern capitalism tells us that money buys food and food keeps us coming back to another day so that we can be hopeful yet again.

Our weavers are proud breadwinners that are continuously developing their talents to bring us uniquely “South Africanized” weavings . Unlike the weavings from other area’s around the globe, the weaverbirds of The Kraal Gallery transgress centric boundaries by weaving designs as varied as life itself.  They have found that weaving is like any other form of art in that it takes a shape and life of its own as it progresses. It is clear that our signature is certainly on each item; impossible to replicate and very vibrant. Our encouragement to these budding artists is to weave the positive. Colour and energy are the foundations to life.

The Kraal Gallery has recognised the enormous potential for fibre art and the resurgence of this ancient craft in recent times. People are tired of mass produced items; items made of plastic and churned out in the thousands with precise lines and sharp edges. We understand that each person desires a certain  individuality and a need to sometimes be a little less exact. When we say that our goods are hand made; we mean it. Every ounce of our rugs and tapestries are painstakingly woven bit by bit. Each weaver has her own ability and her own style and we encourage these to shine whenever possible . Each is a one-of-a-kind item, as is the weaver who wove it.

We are moving with the principle that each one can also teach one. Our program obviously requires patience, willpower and above all people who are ready to take control of their own paths. When we realized that the most productive person is the one who is motivated by themselves, we decided it was time to cast a golden thread into this mix. The Weaverbird system was introduced as a pilot project to allow our passionate weavers to reap the reward due to them. They were incentivized on productivity, artistic flair, personal appearance and above all attitude – Employees fast employed themselves, and so empowerment began.

To our pleasant surprise the system worked. One lady took off like a rocket and soon her colleagues followed suite. From weaving for someone else to weaving for one self, we had successfully encouraged our weaverbirds to graduate from basic employees to entrepreneurs over night.

Today, not all our weavers are weaverbirds. Some still haven’t shown that desire to become independent, but we believe that this is not the learners fault, but instead a process of finding ones niche. As such we have continued to be steadfast to our principle of rotating our staff into different product ranges where necessary. When a weaver may not excel in one weaving discipline she may do the opposite in another. The trick is to find the correct combination and to listen.

The Kraal Gallery hasn’t had an easy road in trying to showcase these talents, and developmental agencies designed to assist where commercial bank criteria is not in place, are more overwhelmed by the monumental task around poverty alleviation and red tape than their resources allow.

We nevertheless believe that perseverance, an export quality product and a good idea in combination is worth the fight on the road to change. With this steadfast personal commitment and the bond between those with talents and those that provide the platform, we will succeed in having our small influence on the perceptions of our visitors and the lives of our talented weaverbirds.

- Why Genadendal needs a modern weaving program -

The outlying Genadendal community is poverty stricken, under-educated and in dire need of a financial, social and educational injection that is not only insistent in uplifting the current standard of living, but also in remaining to do so into the future.

In basic terms: Genadendal needs an angel!

This rural town, once had a budding population of forerunning liberalists that gave slaves basic human rights where once our constitution did not recognize this….Genadendal is steeped in heritage beyond most similar communities (see History: www.museums.org.za)

With the demographics indicating a predominantly colored community that sustains itself mostly on single female breadwinners reliant on migrant and seasonal working conditions, it is no wonder that the community has not risen from the downwards spiral that sub-standard conditions placed on the incumbent peoples of this rural town.

Seasonal work is a scarce commodity that fluctuates according to the agricultural industry. If a season is bad, there is no work – (or little to speak of). During winter, these positions are even less as harvesting ceases. With a stretch on available jobs, and the seasonality thereof, many breadwinners have to travel as far as the apple lands of Grabouw (+-70KM one way) in order to ensure a meal is on the table. This puts additional strain on the net earning of each laborer, as travel costs are often not included in the rural basic wage. With an average of 3-4 children per household, and an approximate population of 4500, the community is restrained in its ability to create an entrepreneurial drive. The women of Genadendal struggle to find the time to provide a better means of living and their children are growing up to follow a similar pattern.

This is no new finding within the broader context of employment issues in South Africa; however this community is bound by particularly strong societal ties and moral/work ethics.

Most families are members of one or other religious denomination and there exists a commonality of hope within the heart of Genadendal. The people are forever developing new and ingenious ways to assist their fellow person.

• A new health clinic was founded. This gives basic health aid to those who cannot afford other means of aid.
• A soup kitchen was started to provide wholesome and nutritious meals to the children of less fortunate families.
• A crèche was started to assist traveling/migrant parents with child care.

All these initiatives have sprouted from a desperate, yet enduring community that is looking for a hand up (not hand out). Genadendal is asking for help, and its people have shown that they are willing to grow the seed of opportunity by working for their futures (and their children’s children’s futures) with a relentless and dogmatic persistence.

With these traits, Genadendal is bound to make a success of any honest and pure project that works with their best interest in mind. 270 Years ago the peoples of Genadendal originally learnt how to make crafts from the missionaries who settled the area. This was their backbone to much of the Christian teaching that the early missionaries brought from Germany.
A Kraal Weaving project for Genadendal is ironically born from the same place. Looking at vastly improving the lives of 200+ women, this project has been adapted from a German weaving instructor’s course and tailored to include the practical elements of weaving. It is a craft and art similar to which the early missionaries did 270 years ago, except now it incorporates all the design and color of the modern day. It has already been actively introduced at Genadendal in Nov 2008, and now seeks to continue the good work that was started. Genadendal has started weaving. Its people are growing. We, as the Kraal Team are proud to be here to help along the way.