…to help preserve fading artifacts
BY KWANELE TSABEDZE
MBABANE – “We produce students who at the end of the day end up not having employment, so this is one way we are contributing to the community with the hope that they will be entrepreneurs and have their own businesses.”
These were the words of University of Eswatini Vice-Chancellor Professor Justice Thwala when speaking to 34 students who were certified on screen printing from UNESWA.
The handcraft students received the training as a collaboration between UNESWA’s Apparel and Textile Department and the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Trade’s Handicraft department.
Speaking through his representative, Principal Secretary (PS) in the Ministry, Siboniso Nkambule, expanded on the importance of what the students learned through the course.
“I have been informed that the University identified a gap on fading of cultural artefacts that describe our background and tradition as the Swazi Nation. The university then decided to preserve the fading artefacts through screen printing on fabric, for our great grandchildren to find them. These include tingula, titsebe, ticamelo, tihlahla temsimeto and many more,” said Nkambule.
“I believe that training on new skills to the artisans will play a major role in assisting them to have a variety of products to make and sell for sustainability. This can be achieved through continuous trainings and harnessing one’s skills and talents so that they produce quality handcrafts that will sell around the globe, to sustain their livelihood,” added the PS.
