Why collective hands matter in Zambia

DW (English)

Empowering Zambian artists by focusing on social impact, environmental responsibility, and celebrating local crafts. That's why Talitha Ullrich and Rosanne Thorne founded collective hands. And they did make an impact.

Transcript

00:00To build a truly sustainable future, bold visions must be matched by practical action.

00:08Let's take a look at an initiative in Zambia that has done just that. Crafting a socially

00:14impactful business with creative craftsmanship and environmentally friendly production.

00:19What keeps us sustainable is the mix of local presence, strong artisan relations,

00:25and a focus on quality and storytelling. Talita Ulrich and Roseanne Thorne found a collective

00:32hand in Lusaka with a clear vision to empower Zambian artisans through a business that prioritized

00:38social impact, environmental responsibility, and the celebration of local craftsmanship.

00:43Could their model serve as a blueprint for others? There's just a lot of these makers were in very

00:48informal settings and they were very isolated to markets as well. So we feel that by what we set

00:54out to do was to really address isolation, access to markets, and a continuous economic income.

01:03Moving beyond a simple marketplace, this initiative operates with a structure designed to provide

01:08comprehensive support to its members. A nine hours drive east of Lusaka is a partner that produces

01:15sustainably sourced and produced jewellery. Do the distances between the game reserves in the

01:20Mfue Valley and Zambia's capital Lusaka impact potential sales? This is actually one of those

01:27collections that we have at a collective hand studio in Lusaka. They stock these and it's one of their top

01:34sellers. Just last month we were from sending about 15 of these pieces of each. And through that, I must say,

01:43it's really impacted our production because we're making more and more of this design, leading to

01:49impacting more rural communities and giving back more to the artisans that get to create these beads for us.

01:58The success of a socially impactful business lies in its ability to overcome challenges and create tangible results.

02:06Why has collective hands been effective? And what hurdles have the founders encountered in the Zambian context?

02:12Our main one would be the load shedding that we are experiencing for the last couple of years due to rainfall.

02:21This has meant that for many, many hours a day, the artisans don't have access to power. There is, of course,

02:28the fluctuating quatra and as a result, a lot of people needing to bring in little items like zips to make bags and

02:38you know, their prices have increased significantly. Also, through the collective hands wanting to expand our reach,

02:48we are also facing our challenges with production capacity and with the artisans meeting timelines.

02:55Although they're based in the middle of Zambia, in the bustling capital of Lusaka,

03:00Talita and Roseanne set out to build an enterprise whose influence reaches beyond its physical location.

03:06What mechanisms are in place to ensure the sustainability of this model?

03:11So, we're more than just a store. We're actually a platform that brings artisan work into real

03:17supporter spaces. Right now, we have three physical stores, a direct-to-customer website and we're

03:25beginning to explore export opportunities to reach a much wider global audience.

03:31A huge amount of things that I buy from the collective are made with kind of the the reeds or

03:36the grass and particularly things like lampshades and baskets and it's really nice to know that there's

03:42no damage to the environment by using those that are completely sustainable and degradable.

03:50This initiative in Lusaka is more than just a marketplace. Where is their impact truly felt

03:55and what makes their story a potential learning experience for others?

03:59I'd really like to bring to mind here is a lady that we started working with and her company is

04:04called Baobab Swirls. She makes handmade soaps made of goat's milk that are organic and she uses also

04:12brings in other more Zambian traditional products. When I say products like cosmetics or natural

04:20cosmetics that she incorporates into these soaps. In a nutshell, to highlight Rosalina's story as

04:25Baobab Swirls, she's grown her own team, she's expanded her own sales platforms and she's been able to

04:32expand her product range due to, I think, economic growth and continuous sales that have come through

04:38the collective hands and other platforms that she now exhibits her works in. It's a vital archery

04:44connecting the creativity of Zambia's artisans with a wider world. Anne and I, as the collective hands

04:51partners, had a very clear intention to create something meaningful that supports artisans in a

04:56really real way. But it definitely wasn't all mapped out from the start. I think that we've allowed the

05:04idea of the business and the concept to grow organically. With that growth, I think we can openly say that

05:12this business is built on relationships, the challenges and the creativity we've encountered along the way

05:21as collective hands. By offering a supportive ecosystem and a centralized platform, it empowers

05:27individuals, preserves cultural heritage and fosters economic opportunity within the nation's vibrant artistic landscape.

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