Community Project: Reaboka Foundation
This is a community engagement project undertaken between the department of Industrial Design's 3 years and the Reaboka Foundation. Through forming relationships and gaining and understanding of the circumstances of the community and the foundation, we were able to identify areas of beneficial impact where our expertise is able to add value to various systems, methods, designs, or manufacture (just to name a few).
The Reaboka Foundation is a self-sustainable fledgling NGO, giving women the self-confidence to take their lives into their own hands and to acquire an identity, respect and status within their community.
Their aim is to maintain and create market access to vulnerable and marginalized communities with poor infrastructure and lack of job opportunities. In this way women can work in their home environment where they are able to care for their children and pass on their skills to the next generation.
Reaboka Foundation adheres to principles of fair trade. This involves an open negotiation with the crafters in terms of pricing of products. Material cost, labour time and operational expenses are openly considered until a viable price is reached that compares realistically to similar products in the market. Furthermore, women are taught business skills in terms of record keeping, inventory management, bank accounts, consistent quality control and transportation of goods.
