Finding Supplies

Today we were on a mission to find the fabric market.  The same one we had tried to find yesterday to no avail as we were given instructions to the open market instead.  See below for a picture of the treacherous bridge we had to cross to get there.  It really looks like something out of a movie where you expect the main character to fall to his death right in the middle.

Well, today we did find the fabric market and shops with knitting resources!!!  Our new friends who work at the curio shop (flea market) accompanied us to make sure we would find them.  Just past some of the shops we had been the previous day, we were happily surprised to find Macbro, a yarn supplier, and down the road, Lambats, an upholstery vendor that sells knitting needles and crochet hooks.  This was not a simple feat, and we were relieved to find that there were supplies available in the city so that the women we teach to knit will not be dependent on us for materials.  Interesting to note is that the needles used here in Lilongwe are much smaller than those we find in the States.  Also, the needles are made in India and the yarn made in Turkey but balled in Zambia.  Therefore, there is long-term potential for producing these goods in Malawi to bring down costs and make available more job opportunities.

In the area surrounding the shops, we saw more than one vendor selling knitted goods.  The men and women that were knitting sold blankets used to carry babies and baby clothing.  This was nice as it showed us that knitted products are in demand in the market but also that there is space in the market for the products we intend to teach how to be made (scarves and cowls).

From there, we went to the fabric market which was past vendors selling fruits, beans, grains, and bags filled with water and milk.  There, we saw about 20 women selling beautiful, colorful, patterned fabrics that are used mostly for skirts, dresses, and fabric for a mother to hold a child on her back.  Men were close by ready to sew the fabrics you had purchased into the skirts and dresses, which we have seen on the streets among half of the locals that don’t sport western clothing.

Today, only our second full day in Malawi, was very successful!  In addition to finding knitting resources, we also had a meeting with one of our NGO contacts.  Kelly will follow with the exciting information about that!