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Of every £1 we raise, 96 pence is used in Malawi
Welcome to the Capacity Foundation shop.
Here you will find goods sourced from East Africa, including lengths of the cloth known as chitenji and purses made by a team of seamstresses in Malenga Mzoma, Malawi.
Chitenji is a fabric commonly found in Malawi and other parts of East Africa, where it is made into blouses, shirts, dresses and bandanas, as well as being sewn into table cloths, handkerchiefs, place mats, bags, purses etc and used as throws. The word chitenji is also used to describe dresses made from the material.
Most of our pieces measure approximately 1.8 x 1.15 metres and have a lightly waxed finish.
Our zipped purses are made from chitenji. Most have a strap and are typically about 16 x 12 centimetres in size.
In Malawi, chitenjis are traditionally washed in cold water and air dried.
Here in the UK, one of our customers tells us she washes a chitenji at 30 using a detergent pod before letting it dry naturally on an airer. She also confirms that the chitenji is colour-fast and loses its waxy finish - and advises ironing before it is fully dry.
Shop chitenjis
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The items we sell are bought personally by us from small businesses in Malawi.
Because of the impact of Covid-19 on travel, we are currently unable to visit the country to obtain new stock.
However, once conditions allow, we will be adding both new stock and new lines to the shop, including a range of carved wooden items.