Evita's Crafters
The Darling Trust Women’s Craft & Skills Development Initiative
Operating from 5A Lang Street, Darling
Through various projects initiated, The Darling Trust holds true to their mission statement: “To empower the residents of the Darling community to help themselves through education and skills development.“
‘Evita’s Crafters’ is one of these projects, revived in 2018 and providing a venue, resources, training and infrastructure to create needle-crafted items, to be sold, thus developing a skillset, and creating an income for the resident participants. Co-ordinated by talented designer, photographer and mentor, Jacqui van Staden, always planning a production line of magic and creativity.
Jacqui, together with a small band of Darling women in need of an income, currently operate from their own studio workshop, provided by The Darling Trust.
This project has its own set of vision, mission, values and objectives.
Vision
- To focus on natural development to enhance what already exists with the idea of expansion.
Mission
- Encouraging residents from the Darling community to be self-sufficient by producing unique crafts made in Darling that can be sold to both local and international tourist customers and client-base.
- Upskilling naturally gifted potential crafters as well as training potentially talented crafters, developing skillsets thereby creating opportunities to generate a fixed income.
- Providing a venue, resources and infrastructure facilitates a creative, safe space for self-expression self-validation and sense of belonging to something uniquely Darling.
Values
Providing skill development and a legal wage for participants, thereby motivating these individuals to take ownership, creating a dignified work environment.
Objectives
- To obtain substantial funding for operational costs, equipment and digital devices in order to promote digital upskilling thereby facilitating the initiative of bringing learning to the learner.
- To assist in initiating new small businesses i.e. person at home opportunities.
- Implementing a mentor programme to include business development and entrepreneurship.
Outcomes
- Skills and talent discovery.
- Increase volume of new and original creative craft work.
- Development of quality, sort after items and marketed to the public.
- Improved livelihoods through income generated by the project.
- Encouraging cultural expression; and representation of artists in the Darling community.
Meet the team!
Under guidance and training of Jacqui, Darling residents Claritha Lewis and Jermaine October make up the training team for the project. Claritha worked for Bonwit for 25 years and Jermaine participated in the original Crafting Programme at Evita se Perron 15 years ago.
These Women implement the following training skills – pattern cutting, learning the workings of the machinery (industrial sewing and overlocker machines), embroidery, finishings as well as assisting with prototype patterns for fresh new product lines.
Jacqui van Staden
Project Manager
Clartiha Lewis
Crafting Trainer
Jermaine October
Crafting Trainer
As the toys created by Evita’s Crafters are made from upcycled fabric: contact us if you would like to donate fabric, haberdashery or funds towards sewing machines.
To order any of these creations, kindly email info@thedarlingtrust.org
Be sure to follow The Darling Trust and Evita’s Crafters on: Instagram @evitas_crafters, facebook @evitascrafters, or simply make a trip to Darling!