Village Crafts Shop

The Village Crafts Shop sells tailoring and craft and some of the carpentry items produced by the students of the Vocational Training School. Its cafe also provides a meeting place for relaxation and refreshment.

VEPK Village Crafts Shop

Amanda outside the crafts shop

In August 2009, Amanda Bennett will make her annual visit and assist some of the graduate students who have formed a small workgroup to make new items for the shop.

The workgroup has recently benefited from a grant from Women's Enterprise Forum through its President Val Moore who volunteered at the school in 2004 giving business skills training to its staff. THe grant has been used to purchase two sewing machines, an over-lock machine and an embroidery machine. It will also fund a short training course on on using the embroidery machine.

Inside the Village Craft Shop

Relaxing in the shop café

Carpentry student decorates his spoon

Chagga house under construction

New shop and Chagga house being built

Read more on the Mshiri Vocational Training School.

At Marangu Mtoni, next to the new shop, we have built a traditional thatched hut as used by the Chagga tribe. There are very few of these left and the Chagga traditions are being forgotten. This is not only a tourist income-generating venture but serves to educate the local children in the traditions of their forefathers.

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