Organisation History

Lehlabile Learning Group was established as an Adult Basic Education (ABE) project in Madumane village in September 1994. The facilitator, Richard Mathebula, led weekly classes in SePedi and XiTsonga, the two predominant languages of the community, at the local primary school. Two years later a group of women who owned sewing machines decided to form a sewing club. As Richard had basic dressmaking skills, he agreed to continue teaching ABE classes, and to facilitate this new Adult Basic Education and Training (ABET) group. By 1997 the ABE and ABET members had joined together to form one unified group, known as Lehlabile Clothing Manufacturers. For three years the women and men worked together to practice reading and writing, improve their sewing skills, and sell their clothing, mainly school uniforms and track suits, to the local market.

In March 2000 Lehlabile's members agreed to invite traditional crafters from Madumane and neighboring villages and form a new group, Ikageng Community Empowerment (ICE). This group of mainly older women decided to expand ICE's market to include the growing local and overseas tourist market. Not only would the group try to earn income for its members, but also preserve the dying traditions of the Lobedu and Tsonga cultures. ICE's members wrote constitutions in SePedi and English, created a business plan, and applied successfully for two grants for honing the crafters' technical skills and capacity building training for both literate and illiterate members.

In September 2000 ICE sent selected crafters and Management Committee members to visit more established craft groups in the Venda region of the Northern Province (photo 3) and in the former Kwa-Ndebele homeland of Mpumalanga Province. In October 2000 ICE's members began capacity building training in organisational skills. (photo 4) The training continued in February 2001 with modules in small business development, bookkeeping, project management, and community health. In June 2001 ICE's members and community leaders from neighboring villages proudly celebrated the end of their six-month training. (photo 5) With the remaining funds, ICE chose to purchase start-up stock, create promotional materials, and renovate their workshop. Recently ICE's members began training their teenage daughters in basic craftmaking and pricing, so that one day they may successfully lead ICE.