Most of the Incomparable team had never held a
paintbrush before they joined the company and are now absolute masters
of their brushes and justifiably proud of their work.
The ladies sense of belonging within the company and skills as crafters
not only gives them tremendous pleasure but also working under Fair
Trade policies provides them with economic empowerment and has uplifted
their families
Quotes:
Thandi Motha
Working at the button factory has helped me to have housing
and to send Sipho to nursery school . I have worked for INCOMPARABLE
for about 16 years now.I have been the Personnel manager for the last
6 years.My sisters Maria and Pindi as well as my aunt Martha and her
daughter Thulisile all work here. Thulisile has just got her drivers
licence and she paid for her last year of schooling by working part
time at our company.
Nokhuthula
Icome from Swaziland and I struggled to find work ..I
started working for INCOMPARABLE 14 years ago and have been able to
send money back to my family every month.
Martha Shongwe
Me
and my daughter Thulisile work for Incomparable. I have 5 children and
no husband. I have supported them all to begin with from my salary.
Now Thulisile works for us and my son Mandla also
Clementina Ipalleng ( Ipalleng means read
for yourself)
Incomparable has helped me a lot. I am a breadwinner with 3 children
aged 13, 4 and 1 year. I have worked here for 13 years and I am the
painting Supervisor. I love my job very much. Miss Jen (our boss who
started the company) is like our family. All our problems are on her
head and she tries always to help us.I hope my children can work for
her one day.
Maria
My husband died and I have 5 children none of them are
working except Gladys who also works with me at INCOMPARABLE. I support
all of them myself. I have been working for Incomparable for 15 years
now. They help me with loans sometimes and also to support my family.
I never want to work anywhere else.
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Here are some of the artists who make Zulu baskets
for us. Three villages have been regenerated through our basket supplier
who, concerned that skills were being lost through the number of people
dying of aids, has encouraged the older generation to teach their children
and grandchildren to weave. He supplies the raw material (Ilala palm)
and can be justifiably proud that he has been instrumental in helping
these communities to earn a decent living in a very rural area where there
is no other work.
 
Sipho - a talented South African gentleman who makes our wire shapes
and paperclips. He is being given the training and opportunity to run
his own business through Project
Gateway .
These
ladies are from Iziko Lo Lwazi ( Centre of Learning) adult literacy
project in Hout Bay Cape Town. They make wonderful paper from rooibos
tea and seaweed amongst other things. Stunning beadwork is made into
jewellery and they make our beautiful stitch markers.
  
Izimbali a Zulu word
for Flower
The Izimbali group is a group of previously unemployed
women working in Soweto South Africa.
The group presently consists of 2 full time and 5 part time “flower
girls”.
The women undergo an intensive initial training period and thereafter
work from home in their own time,which enables them to look after their
children whilst earning an income. The flowers are all hand made from
taffeta, silks and satins and organzas and the more goods we sell the
more women we can employ.
  
Injabulo
Broom Cottage Ashton Oundle Peterborough PE8 5LD Telephone/Fax 01832
274881
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