By Temnotfo Mvubu | Grant Writer/Research
This year, your generosity has enabled our organisation to continue addressing poverty and lack of opportunity through practical, community-rooted economic development. One of the key ways we do this is through Dvumisa Creative, a social enterprise designed to connect local artisans and producers to sustainable markets. Dvumisa Creative has evolved over time in response to real conditions on the ground, remaining flexible while staying true to its purpose: creating dignified income opportunities for people who are often excluded from the formal economy.
In previous years, we operated a retail shop at the Mantenga Lifestyle Centre in Ezulwini, where tourists and locals could purchase handmade Dvumisa Creative products such as fun sishewe accessories, stone-etched items, and glassware crafted by artisans from our surrounding communities, alongside our marula oil serum. This shop provided a vital income stream for artisans and producers, helping families meet basic needs through their skills and locally sourced products. At the start of this year, however, the shop was closed due to high operational costs. While this was a difficult decision, it allowed us to redirect resources toward more scalable and community-based economic initiatives.
One such initiative has been the continued development of marula and moringa oil production, which forms part of Dvumisa Creative’s broader empowerment work. The year began with scaling the existing marula product line, strengthening production and supply chains. By mid-year, this growth enabled the expansion of the range to include soaps and body butters, increasing both market appeal and income-generating opportunities. Around the same time, we were able to repair the moringa press and successfully restart moringa oil production, bringing this valuable resource back into the enterprise. Marula season is slowly approaching (February- April), and our production process will soon begin its natural rhythm, as women from nearby communities collect, dry, and crack the nuts by hand before selling the kernels to us for pressing and processing.
This work creates a meaningful chain of impact, from women supplying raw materials to those crafting the finished products, many of whom are caregivers in our Singumndeni program raising children with disabilities. These women often face stigma and exclusion, making traditional employment impossible. Through flexible, supportive work, they gain skills and earn income that is reinvested into food, schooling, health care, and homestead improvements.
We are deeply grateful for the support of our donors in 2025, which helped sustain production, expand product ranges, and create dignified work for caregivers. To date this GlobalGiving project has assisted hundreds of families, but we still have many more to reach. While we have raised $7,397 toward our $35,000 goal, there is still work to be done to expand the impact. We invite you to continue partnering with us in 2026 as we work to strengthen opportunities and transform lives. www.kudvumisafoundation.org
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