Colleen 
Chishimba 
Lisa 
Memory 
Sarah
Zambia
Foundation for the Realization of Economic Empowerment began in 2011 with a training center for sewing in one of Lusaka, Zambia’s peri-urban communities. After a year, 25 women graduated and began their own enterprise. They continually struggled to pay the rent on their tiny shop, let alone make an income to take home. Jewellery looked like a decidedly more lucrative option for economically empowering women so with How To books in one hand and a pair of pliers in the other they began teaching another group of women in Ng’ombe Compound how to create jewellery from copper wire.
Zambia is one of the world’s largest producers of copper but with little local manufacturing. Those early days were a real struggle and the initial group of women all left, without having made a single marketable piece after four months! When they thought the dream would die, two young women arrived and within a week were making sale-able pieces.
Currently a group of 10 young women now manufacture jewellery from their premises in Ng’ombe Compound. They’ve learned how to solder, to etch, to enamel, to string beads, to rivet, to fold form, and a myriad of other skills.
Charity: “Being in this project has taught and helped me a lot. It has taught me never to degrade myself. I’ve also learnt to fend for myself financially and it has indeed helped me to keep away from negative energies. I love making jewelry and I can be more than happy to have my own jewelry project to teach other people out there.” Charity is married and has a four year old daughter. She joined the project in November 2012. She is currently the workshop supervisor.
Lumbiwe: Lumbiwe is a single mother with two boys. She has a passion for designing and making jewelry and intends to make it her lifelong career. She has a strong sense of humor and often has the entire group laughing. She enjoys singing in the choir at her church.
Jemimah: Jemimah came to F.R.E.E. as a volunteer while she was still completing her degree at the University of Zambia. She studied Library Information Science and Development Studies. Rather than pursue a job, Jemimah chose to pursue jewelry making with F.R.E.E. and asked if she could join the group. She is interested in entrepreneurship. She says, “I have decided to center my focus on making jewelry because I have a passion for making unique and authentic jewelry and would love to see more of our Zambian people appreciate these extremely beautiful pieces of art. I believe the type of jewelry a person wears tells a significant story about them and I am excited to be part of the creating story.” Jemimah recently got married.
Rita: Rita is married and has a young baby. Her hobbies are singing, reading, writing, and designing. Rita designs her own clothes and aspires to be a fashion designer.
Memory: Memory is the youngest member of the project. She’s the one who takes an interest in repairs and maintenance of the building and equipment. While the rest of the women just use the torch, Memory has taken the time to learn how to attach the torch to the gas bottles. She doesn’t just see herself as having learned to make jewelry, she sees herself as having learned life skills that give her independence. Memory teaches a class at her church. Her hobbies are reading, singing, and poetry. She is a budding poet herself.
Colleen: Colleen joined the group a year after she finished high school. The opportunity arose for her to be trained in silversmithing as the older members of the group wanted to stick with copper. Though she had little experience in working with metals when she started, Colleen quickly learned. She and Jemimah were taught silversmithing for three and a half months. Colleen enjoys fashion design and wants to have her own clothing shop in the future.
Lisa: Lisa joined the project soon after completing high school. A few months later she got accepted at a local college to study secretarial and office management. She is now in her second year, having managed to keep up with her stock of jewellery designs on school breaks and when time allows. Lisa aspires to be either a secretary or a journalist. We think she’d make a promising jeweller!
Margaret: Margaret has been with the group the longest of anyone. She got married in 2017 and left the Ng’ombe community to live on the outskirts of Lusaka. She comes to Ng’ombe on weekends to make jewellery. Margaret is very adept in working with her hands. She has taught nearly everyone who is presently in the group. Our goal is that we have sufficient demand for jewellery so she can recruit and train other young women in her neighbourhood.