FASHION designer and founder of Ganu Designs, Nkanyezi Malunga, is working on a project titled Capacity Building and Entrepreneurship, an initiative by the TG Silundika Cultural Community Centre in Gala, Ward 6, Bulilima where she is training 30 women who will take part in Miss TibaKalanga today.
The aim of the project is to engage with women from Bulilima, share knowledge on the globalisation of creative works, build on the women’s capacity as a collective and boost their entrepreneurship flare in the creative sector.
Malunga told Standard Style that the future of fashion and creative works has the rural communities at its core.
“We will start with a workshop which will run for a day then the following day the cultural center is hosting Miss Tibakalanga, which I’m looking forward to. The aim of the project is to engage with women from Bulilima, to share knowledge on the globalization of our creative works," she said.
“The future of fashion and creative works has the rural communities at its core. We are at a point where we have the skills and craftsmanship but need to position ourselves for a broader market. Thus, we will explore innovative ideas on how we may preserve our cultures while promoting a sustainable economy.”
Malunga said our cultures are slowly eroding and in an attempt to preserve and share, they would like to engage on ways of narrating the stories through the creative works the women do.
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“We want to be part of the global stage and that requires taking charge of the story telling as it’s what drives the consumers and producers now. This workshop will create more market linkages and introduce an inter-district or provincial exchange programme for the women to network and learn from each other while promoting a sustainable economy for themselves through craft and fashion" she said.
“We will also explore the possibilities of creating a creative hub/factory in Bulilima amongst other rural areas. Rural areas are the reservoirs of traditional knowledge and it’s always an opportunity to learn whenever I travel to the rural areas.
“Our cultures are hybrid and this is an opportunity to experience the Kalanga culture closely.
Malunga added: “I intend to visit other rural communities to learn and explore ways in which fashion and textile designing can be used to preserve our cultures. Umtshado Kambulumakhasane being one of them. TG Silundika cultural community center is running this workshop koGala, in Bulilima.”