
These magical snapshots are from a bag-making workshop in a small village called Kasungu in Malawi.
Here at the Khama workshop, a group of women makes shopping bags to supplement their farming incomes.
The women make everything on foot-powered Singer sewing machines that do not require electricity. Power cuts are a regular occurrence in Malawi and the power can be out for days. Most people don't have electricity in their homes.
Khama - which was set up by Irish designer Elaine Burke - works with micro-enterprise projects to support crafts people with training to work towards setting up their own small business. It operates on the basis of ‘trade not aid’ with its producers.
Khama collaborates with designers to produce "design-led products using locally sourced and recycled materials".
Elaine Burke told independent.ie: "We link up with groups in smaller surrounding villages to make our crochet items."
"All our textiles are traditional Chitenge from Malawi or Zambia," she added.
"These groups are all from farming communities and the Khama work supplements their income while waiting for harvest time."
"This project has been started at ground level reaching remote communities, and we work as a co-operative, making and working with designers to collaborate and make ranges for sale."
Khama's main product, the Chitenge printed shopping bag, has just arrived into Irish stores and it is available in Dublin in Se Si in Temple Bar, Punnet Health store in Glasthule, and Select Stores in Dalkey.
Elaine said: "We work as a co-operative and our producers have a share in Khama business."
"The group we work with have a shareholding in Khama Design Limited and as we grow we hope to help set up a network of small micro enterprises."
"Our main workshop operates as a local tailors too and we support our groups to have their own clients and business."
For enquiries: info@khama.co.uk, www.khama.co.uk.