Following the Bottles 2 Beads Workshop held in February 2007 where four Ghanaian bead-makers came to Tanzania to train groups how to turn old bottles and broken window panes into beads, a bead-making project has been started at the Wonder Workshop. This currently employs six disabled men and women and makes good use of all the empty wine and beer bottles Dar residents produce each week!
In December 2005 the Wonder Workshop went to the annual Christmas Trust Fair at the Ngong Racecourse in Nairobi. In 2006 we were invited again and we showcased our new product ranges and designs. Our products are now available through The Spinner's Web in Westlands, Nairobi and we hope to be at the fair again in 2007.
In October 2006 the disabled women at the Wonder Workshop were trained in the art of soap making by Shireen Mahdi. Locally sourced oils are blended together with Zanzibari essential oils and spices to create an exotic range of soaps.
In April 2005 we were lucky enough to have Chris Weinberger join the Wonder Workshop team to train a group of disabled men to make handmade wooden toys. Renewable, environmentally sensitively sourced Tanzanian woods are used to make these high quality toys which are held together without nails or screws and finished with coconut oil. Please see our gallery for the full product range.
In January 2006 we were able to purchase a pick-up with money kindly donated by the Girdlers' Company in the UK. This has transformed our business as we can now collect scrap donations, make deliveries and deal with our customers in a much more efficient manner. Thank You!
At the start of 2006 a group of disabled women joined the Wonder Workshop and were trained in the art of papermaking. Using waste paper, cardboard boxes and newspapers with natural fibres such as banana fibre, pineapple tops and onion skins they make beautiful handmade paper and paper products. Please see the Gallery for photos of some of the products.
In December 2005 we were lucky enough to receive a generous donation from the Kitchen Table Charities Trust in the UK. This enabled us to build our capacity by purchasing more much needed equipment, expanding the workshop and employing two more polio victims. Thank You!