Eswatini Jams

St Mary's church sells 'Eswatini' jams, marmalade and chutneys. Eswatini, which means made in Swaziland, was set up in 1991 by a Catholic priest and an Anglican nun to create jobs in Swaziland and generate income for Manzini Youth Care, a local community based NGO which works with orphans and street children (running 6 residential homes, bridging courses to get children back into mainstream education and training programmes for school leavers). It is staffed entirely by local women from disadvantaged areas and buys all fruit and veg from local rural farmers.

Swaziland is a tiny mountain kingdom between South Africa and Mozambique. Proceeds of sales benefit the 20 women who work full time in Eswatini kitchen, up to 3000 local farm workers and suppliers, 200 rural women who gather grasses and weave them into gift baskets, and almost 200 children who receive housing, food and education at several youth centres. Swaziland is generally a polygamous society where women have little independence and say in affairs, but Eswatini is working hard and effectively to empower women economically so that they can have greater control over their lives.

Dates when Eswatini products will be available will be highlighted in “Diary Dates”