Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

Staff of MSTC Jane Madete -
Manager Athuman Mlekwa - Senior
Mechanic Christina Mdachi - Junior Mechanic
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• Structure
• 1. What is it
• 2. Where is it
• 3. How it operates
• 4. Successes
• 5. Difficulties
• 6. Challenges

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• 1. What is it?
• The MSTC is a joint venture between a Tanzanian
  organisation Small Industries Development
  Organisation (SIDO) and Tools for Solidarity.
• It was established to help the tailoring sector
  by providing
• Material and training support
• Increase the income generation of tailors
• Improve overall maintenance of machines
• The project's main focus is
• Rural women
• Vocational training centres
• People with disabilities

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

MSTC Centre at Mwanza Urban
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
MSTC Workshop and Office
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
MSTC Workshop Checking treadles
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• 2. Where is it?
• The MSTC (Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre) is
  in Mwanza the second biggest city in Tanzania
• It provides support in 4 regions, covering
  150,000 sq kilometres and a population of 9.3m,
  which is known as the 'Lake Zone Region'

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• 3. How it operates
• It operates by proving a package of support to
  tailors (includes sewing machines, training and
  material support) within a self funding structure
• It employs 3 staff who
• Refurbish sewing machines sent by TFS
• Develop networks to notify tailors of the project
• Carry out an assessment and selection process
• Provide sewing machines and training to tailors
  within the project area

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
MSTC manager and chairperson of CHAWATA
(Disability Organisation) Discus selection of PWD
for support under funded programme
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• 3.3 Training
• Training is essential if tailors are to make the
  most of their machine and to develop new skills
• MSTC is supporting tailors by giving them
  training in
• Operational and maintenance training
• Design and /or embroidery training
• Business training
• While attending training the tailors receive free
  accommodation, breakfast, lunch and the materials
  for the course
• The provision of free accommodation has more than
  trebled the numbers receiving training. Last
  year MSTC trained 340 tailors

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
Tailoring training at SIDO Offices
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• Tailors learning Embroidery Techniques

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• 3.6 Mechanics Training
• To help with maintenance of the machines MSTC
  selects people from different districts and
  provides a 1 month intensive course
• While attending training the mechanics receive
  accommodation, breakfast and lunch
• The mechanics also receive a bicycle and a tool
  kit to enable them to provide a repair service
  within their district

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• Maintenance training
• The training I got from SIDO-MSTC on maintenance
  and repair of sewing machines influenced my
  career, Im now capable of undertaking all
  necessary maintenances to any kind of sewing
  machine. Currently, I have many customers from
  different places of Magu District, his helps me
  to be able of sustaining my livelihoods
• (Fundi at Nyamikoma)

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• 4. Successes
• Transfer of skills to local people running the
  project
• MSTC allocates 3/400 sewing machines each year to
  tailors
• Training for tailors in design and embroidery
• Better maintenance by training mechanics
• Development of locally produced treadles
• MSTC has become a regional training centre and
  resource

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• MSTC has become recognized by the SIDO
  Headquarters as a training organisation, the only
  tool organisation in Tanzania that has gained
  such recognition

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• 5. Difficulties
• Identifying tailors and working in districts far
  from Mwanza.
• Treadle expensive to produce and need equipment
  to make them
• Transport costs are high
• Providing training is expensive and requires
  accommodation

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

Treadles made in Mwanza
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

Wheel Jig Designed and made By Joshua a local
metal fabricator in Mwanza
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• 6. Challenges
• Maintaining and improving services require the
  support of organisations like TFS. Can MSTC
  develop other links to help it's work
• Maintaining a supply of high quality treadles.
• Providing training will play a more important
  role but how to finance this
• Financially MSTC is being affected by high
  inflation and increasing material and transport
  costs. This affects the budget and money MSTC
  can generate

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• Feedback From Evaluation 2011

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• Accessing Machines Locally
• I bought 2 machines from SIDO-MSTC which brought
  me dramatic business changes. I later on decided
  to employ two more people since my business was
  growing
• (Tailor in Runzewe-Bukombe)

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre
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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• Acquiring New Skills
• Although I have been a tailor for quite some
  time, I could not know how to make suit but when
  I got the trainings on dress designing from
  SIDO-MSTC I started to make suits. Many people
  are now coming to me for suits this has really
  impressed me and helped to improve my income
• (Female Tailor (35 yrs) Kwimba District)

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre

• Developing Networks
• I have been working with SIDO-Mwanza since the
  inception of this project ,but compared to so
  many other projects, we have through this project
  been able to increase our collaboration and
  networking with the community and all other
  actors. As I person, I see this is a success and
  an achievement to us all,
• (Co-ordinator, Magu))

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Mwanza Sewing and Training Centre