The Clover Mama Afrika team has been hard at work this year and has not wasted any time in growing the project, not only with ongoing training and upskilling of the Clover Mamas across the country but also with the appointment of their 57th Clover Mama!
Clover Mama Afrika, Clover’s corporate sustainability initiative, is a community-led approach aimed at reducing poverty in neighbourhoods by empowering women and those around them to empower the generation that comes after them. And with the project running successfully since 2004 and hosting 440 training sessions with over 2313 beneficiaries over the years, the benefits of upskilling can be clearly seen.
New Clover Mama, Hester Wildeman from Wittedrif, just outside Plettenberg Bay, lives with husband Isaac who is a caretaker at a school and a pastor at a church. Mama Hester has been making beautiful handsewn animals made from Shwe-Shwe material for more than 10 years for the well-known Old Nics at Plettenberg Bay. She has trained and upskilled 10 women recently and has another five women in training at the moment to make the Shew-Shew animals. All of these ladies create an income from these handmade toys they are making.
Mama Hester can’t wait to finish her first machine and overlocker sewing course as she would love to extend the range by not only making all these material animals by hand, but also using her sewing machine to do beautiful work. On top of her handsewn project she is running a guest house! “I am so excited and grateful for this opportunity that has been given to me! There is so much I want to do in my community and I am looking forward to the training and upskilling I will receive from Clover Mama Afrika along the way,” says Mama Hester Wildeman.
“We are happy to announce our newest Clover Mama joining our team this year. She is our 577h appointed Clover Mama. She is already doing wonderful work in her community, training women and on top of that she runs a guest house! Nothing is too much work for her and she is definitely ready for this challenge and joining our team,” explains Prof Elain Vlok, Clover Manager, Clover Mama Afrika Trust.
Among all the 57 Clover Mama Afrika’s there are many centres that are providing to various communities:
- Sewing – 24 centres
- Quilting – 13 centres
- Cooking & baking – 24 centres
- Bread baking – 22 centres
- Food gardens – 18 centres
- Beadwork – 9 centres
- Crocheting / Knitting – 12 centres
- Flower Arranging – 12 centres
- Pottery – 1 centre
- Hairdressing – 5 centres
- Egg Laying/poultry project – 5 centres
- Welding – 2 centres
Clover Mama Afrika continues to strive to upskill Clover Mamas in their communities, allowing them to share those skills with others living in their communities.
PROF ELAIN VLOK WITH 57TH MAMA APPOINTED AT CLOVER MAMA AFRIKA, MAMA HESTER WILDEMAN FROM WITTEDRIF, JUST OUTSIDE PLETTENBERG BAY.
About Clover Mama Afrika
Clover Mama Afrika is a sustainable Corporate Social Investment project that has been in existence since 2004. Over the years the project has hosted 440 training sessions with over 2313 beneficiaries. Teaching and guiding strong females (lovingly called ‘Mamas’ due to their standing in their neighbourhoods) in communities all over the country, in order to build their skills and sustain and improve their own community projects. Only the most committed are enrolled and these include women looking after orphans, the elderly and those suffering from HIV/Aids.
