Dave Field, a trainer from Hereford College of Blacksmithing, has just returned from a fortnight in Tanzania where he has been teaching advanced techniques to the best of the blacksmith groups we are working with in Lake Zone Tanzania. He has taught them how to carry out better heat treatment to make sure the tools are of the [...]
July saw 38 members from 17 different groups take part in a course designed to help them maintain their sewing machines and to repair them when they go wrong. This as just as important as getting machines out to Tanzania in the first place, helping to make the tailors even more self reliant. The course was run by [...]
Ian and Tony with our brand new road sign, awarded to TFSR Cymru for our work with SIDO in and around Mwanza. More information on Wales Africa Links facebook page “You changed my life. I used to spend my money on make-up. Now I buy your billhooks!” A happy customer of ours at the Green Man Festival
Our container left for Tanzania in April, and arrived in Dar es Salaam on 25th May with 13 tonnes of tools and sewing machines. We are still short of embroidery machines for women's groups in Tanga and Singida regions. Are there any unwanted/unused machines out there? Please contact us today Many thanks - the Welsh Toolies
Read how we did last year . . . Just click here - An Review for web . . Mhambo Mwinamila making a goat bell for our Fair Trade tools programme
Click here to read more about this issue which affects many African countries
A new tools collection point in Carmarthen is up and running, and Colin Hill picked up some nice tools today. It's in the Healthy Planet bookstore, which is in the old Allied Carpet store in Pensarn, Carmarthen. The store is currently open Monday to Saturday from 10am, closing times in the afternoon vary. For up to date opening [...]
We had a wonderful dry Green Man Festival Our workshops were as popular as ever - blacksmithing hooks and pokers, and making hazel whistles. Sold a few tools too . . .
A large lorry blocked Standard Street this week while volunteers unloaded an enormous pile of tools collected in the recent "Tools Amnesty", run by the the Garden Centre Group with garden centres in South Wales. . Many thanks to Julie Sheldon who organised this. .
Click to read all about our efforts last year . . . . Annual Review 2009.2010 for email
Jane Davidson, Welsh Assembly Minister for the Environment, was impressed with the Fair Trade tools on our stall at the Brecon Beacons Green Fair. . . . . . She was one of many who bought a goat bell made from recycled steel by Milundumo Group, rural blacksmiths from Shinyanga Region. They plan to buy a shearing machine [...]
We are so pleased to announce that Dr William Shija has just agreed to become the first patron of TFSR Cymru. Dr Shija is the Secretary General of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and is based in London. His post has just been extended for another five years. He comes from Sengerema, a small town in Tanzania [...]
We have new Fair Trade Tools - adzes and spar hooks - just arrived from Anthony Safari Blacksmiths Group in Geita, Tanzania Available with or without a leather blade cover. Visit our workshop or buy online
Recently we have been at The Big Apple - Much Marcle, Abergavenny World Trade Fair, Brecon Beacons Green Fair, Green Man Festival, Sennybridge Show, Abergavenny Food Festival, and the Big Skill, Penpont.
Green Man Festival - Crickhowell Thursday 19th August - Sunday 22nd August. Some rain some shine . . . We sold our lovingly refurbished tools, and our new Fair Trade Tools from Tanzania. Our Tanzanian-style forge and simple forging workshops were popular as ever. We made green wood stools too.
You can now purchase our Fair Trade Tools online. All profits from selling these tools go towards our project which provides training to blacksmiths groups within Lake Zone, Tanzania. They are taught new skills on the forge, better hardening and finishing techniques, and helped with marketing their products. Carpentry groups also receive training in maintaining their tools. This [...]
The Mwanza Workshop and has been up and running since June 2005. The two Tanzanian workers Saidi and Vivienne are turning out tool kits for artisan groups in Lake Zone, refurbishing over 200 kits a year, about four times the output of our Crickhowell workshop. Saidi has been out and about in Mwanza Region, carrying out [...]