Johannesburg: An initiative to recycle used saris from India into female and male fashion garments has helped fight poverty and unemployment in South Africa.
Founded by Rayana Edwards in 2014, the 'Sari for Change' initiative has grown from an initial call for donation of used saris for up-cycling into new garments to a skill development and entrepreneurial project with the ability to scale as it lifts people out of poverty in South Africa.
The impact of this initiative is visible in the steady income it has provided for women who have been up-skilled to produce garments out of its dedicated workshop in North Riding in northern Johannesburg.
This success has led to a second workshop in the sprawling Black township of Soweto in the south of Johannesburg where six women are currently being trained to join the fashion line production of the 'Sari for Change', with 20 more to be admitted next year.
Edwards said women from all over the world primarily in India contribute their gently worn saris or family heirlooms to women in South Africa.
