The Mayamiko Trust – Mayamiko meaning praise in Chichewan dialect, praises indeed the old Chinese proverb ‘ Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime ’.
Since 2008, the Mayamiko cotton project in Malawi,provides training in sewing and tailoring to local women who are infected or affected by HIV/AIDS giving them the opportunity to earn a reliable income for them and their families.
The training includes all different textile processes: weaving or knitting, cutting, sewing, tailoring, all the way through the finished garments, some of which have been featured on Vogue, Grazia, Cosmopolitan and The Guardian.
Mayamiko empowering, sustainable initiative is well received by the public as one can see the real impact on real people. The project is supported by donations, both monetary and in-kind like people’s time, professional skills etc.
However, the training and working conditions are harsh : outdoor classes, limited working space, electricity coming and going – most of the time off.
In order to offer better chances of success , Mayamiko’s current focus is on obtaining the raw materials to build a sustainable skills and production center in Lilongwe, Malawi, The target is 200,000 Bricks-of-Hope, each brick representing 50 pence.
For the same reason, Mayamiko are holding their second fundraising event, 
” SPARK an explosion of creative energy ”.
SPARKS will be held at Corbet Place, London on the 26th of October and promises a night of fun, full of fashion, live music, and dancing. To find out all the details, visit SPARKS and ….. see you there!
