HomeNet Africa

THE AFRICA REGIONAL PLATFORM coordinates activities in East and South Africa and has representatives from five countries together with the support of Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO). The approximately 140 grassroots groups involved are mainly small, self-help groups, cooperatives, women’s or community-based groups. Most produce crafts, and, especially in Kenya and Uganda, are linked to the fair trade movement. The groups are forming area clusters and working towards forming national networks.

HomeNet

Africa

In Africa, WIEGO conducted policy research and mapping of home-based workers in South Africa, Kenya and Egypt in 2012-13 as part of an initiative aimed at Strengthening Home-Based Workers. In 2014, working with WIEGO’s Global Trade Programme and its Fair Trade project partners, WIEGO started a dialogue together with home-based workers representatives and key allies from the three African countries in Nairobi, Kenya.

“Africa is the youngest in the network. As a region, we have joined the race and at small scale. We want to learn from you” , said Bernard Outah, Regional Director of the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) Africa during the HBW global conference in 2015.
Regional and global events, have been hosted by Women in Informal Employment: Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) Ltd in partnership with the Kenyan Federation for Alternative Trade (KEFAT) who sought to support national and regional organising and networking of home-based workers in an effort to promote greater visibility for the sector.

Activities continue in the region to strengthen communications and sharing of experiences among organizations. On 17-21 March, 2019, 42 participants from home-based workers’ organizations in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Africa gathered at the Savelberg Retreat Centre in Nairobi for the Kenya National HBW Workshop and the HBW Africa Regional Meeting. During the meeting, discussions centered around the registration of a national network of Kenyan Home-Based Workers, and building and strengthening of HBW organizations from the countries represented (Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and South Africa) and in Africa.

 

In Kenya, plans towards the formalization of the Home Based Workers Network-Kenya has seen the interim registration of the network, development and approval of a constitution and currently the identification of an interim leadership team. The Working Group will be holding a leadership Training that will amongst others plan for the Launch of the HBWs Network.

 

In Uganda nineteen organizations are organized around the five regions of Kampala city.

Regional Contacts

Edwin Bett

HNI Interim Regional Representative
Nairobi, Kenya
Email: [email protected]

Betty Lunkuse

HNI International Working Committee member
Uganda
Email: [email protected]

Jemimah Nyakongo

HNI International Working Committee member
Kenya
Email: [email protected]

Country Contacts

Ethiopia


In Ethiopia home-based workers’ organizing is supported by Women in Self Employment (WISE).
http://wise.org.et/?fbclid=IwAR1SQjKbxLofM6bEl0YRMS9VjByVCPZyaTxbTClXzUz90hdjRwGL2Xg-tVA

Kenya


In Kenya, the HBWs representatives spread across 6 cluster regions and organized as self-help groups, cooperatives and producer organizations found in the commercial crafts, textile and Garment Sectors; specialization inherent on raw materials and traditional skills. Over the years, the different HBWs groups have been working together towards increasing organization and formalizing in a national network.

On 10 December 2020, Home Based Workers Network-Kenya officially launched in Nakuru, Kenya.

Read more:
https://www.homenetinternational.org/event/home-based-workers-in-kenya-are-organizing-for-recognition-rights

HomeNet Kenya Launch Statement

Elizabeth Nzilani
Machakos Cooperative Union
Email: [email protected]

Jemimah Nyakongo
Rachuonyo Women Group
Email: [email protected]

South Africa


In South Africa the South African Self-Employed Women’s Association (SASEWA) was founded in 2009 in KwaZulu Natal when there was a need for informal workers such as street vendors and homed-based workers to have their rights represented. The organization has six active branches of cooperatives engaged mainly in traditional beadwork. Home-based workers in Cape Town are organized in an emerging network of textile and craft producing cooperatives.

Thandiwe Xulu,
SASEWA
Email: [email protected]

Emily Milanzi,
Empire Cooperative
Cape Town Cluster
Email: [email protected]h

Tanzania


In Tanzania self-help groups are organizing from Dar Es Salaam.

Rebecca Nyaluke,
UWAKE
Email: [email protected]

Uganda


In Uganda, nineteen organizations are organized around the five regions of Kampala city.

Betty Lunkuse,
Envirojewels
Email: [email protected]

Lillian Semigga,
Uganda Crafts 200
Email: [email protected]

Facebook Kenya:

Facebook Uganda:

Contact:

Interim Regional Representative

Countries:

Ethiopia, Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda

Members:

Regional network of 140 groups, representing 6,700 home-based workers.

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