Why it exists
Women Environment Action at Dufatanye was established in 2021 as a direct response to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the community — illness, deaths, lost work and the mental health fallout that followed. Fourteen women with no income, health problems and family conflict were selected for an eco-crafts training programme.
The goal was two things at once: keep waste out of the environment, and give the women a livelihood that does not depend on anyone's grant cycle. What they make — figurines, bowls, jewellery — is sold, and the income is theirs. Alongside the earnings the group has produced a savings collective and, by their own account, a considerable amount of hope.
The visit
An hour to two, hands-on. The members explain the recycling process themselves — they have been trained to lead the visit, not to be observed during it — and you work through the technique with them. The focus throughout is on the environmental case as much as the craft.
You can buy directly, which is the point of the whole model and the most useful thing a visitor does here.
Where it fits
Short enough to add to anything. It is at the same site as the Dufatanye demonstration farm, on the Big View Trail, and the two together make one good day out of Nyanza. For the wider craft picture, see handicraft cooperatives.