Fashion Revolution is a global movement calling for a fairer, safer, cleaner, more transparent fashion industry. Ask your favorite brands, “who made my clothes?”
Wildlife Works has been a fair trade factory for 20 years. We have featured many of our factory employees on our blog. Here are a few more we wanted to introduce to you this week.
Agnes Kilunju
Meet Agnes Kilunju. She has been working as a Machinist at Wildlife Works’ Eco-factory for the past six years. Agnes is in charge of laying the fabric for sewing as well as packaging. Working at Wildlife Works means security to Agnes, because as a single mother of two she is able to educate her children as well as take care of her parents in their rural home. Apart from being busy with her sewing machine, she loves lunch hour when she chats with her colleagues.
Patience Majala
Meet Patience Majala who has been a machinist at Wildlife Works’ Eco-factory since 2001. Patience says that working at Wildlife Works has provided her with financial security as well as the opportunity to learn new sewing skills. Additionally, she has learnt vital skills like first aid and health and safety. Patience is a single mother of two and is now able to educate them thanks to her job at Wildlife Works. She enjoys working on her machine because it keeps her engaged most of the time. She hopes to continue making more clothes for our clients.
Sarah Safari
This is Sarah Safari. She joined Wildlife Works in 2012 and is now a qualified machinist who can fit well in other areas of work. Sarah is a proud single mother of a 17-year-old. Thanks to her job at Wildlife Works, Sarah can now earn a decent salary and pay tuition for her son’s secondary school and take care of her parents in her rural home. Sarah enjoys experimenting with different designs and styles at our eco factory. She says she has also learnt how to save her money while working at Wildlife Works. She hopes to get more orders from clients so as to keep them busy.
James Thomas Jira
James is the every busy machinist at our eco-factory who is in charge of sewing overlock and straight stitch machines. James is happiest when he gets news that a client has requested for orders. “That is the time when I get to continue with my job,” says the father of a two-year-old girl. James loves spending time at Wildlife Works’ canteen where he has lunch and chats with his colleagues.
Elpina Sezi
Do you know who makes the pockets for your favorite shirt or pair of pants? Meet Elpina Sezi a 53-year-old Machinist at our eco-factory. Elpina started working at Wildlife Works in 2012. Since working at Wildlife Works, the single mother of has used her salary to educate her 23-year-old daughter through college and build a permanent house and renovate it. Elpina is thankful for Wildlife Works for the opportunity to work and earn a good salary. Her happiest moments are when she is busy and also during lunchtimes!
Salma Joha
Wildlife Works provides free onsite Nursery to employees’ children. Salma Joha is one beneficiary, as her four-year-old son attends school at Wildlife Works Nursery School. The wife and mother of three is a straight machinist at Wildlife Works’ Eco-factory. Since her husband’s job is not stable, Salma uses her salary to educate her children as well as assist her parents in their home. Having joined Wildlife Works in 2016, she has gained valuable skills such as operating an overlock and straight stitch machine among others. According to Salma, more orders means more salaries, so keep them coming!
Constance Machocho
Ever wondered who makes the buttonholes on your dress or shirt? Meet Constance Machocho, a wife and mother of two. Constance is a straight stitch machinist who has been working for Wildlife Works’ Eco-factory since 2010. With the salary that she earns she and her husband are able to educate their children as well as build a comfortable home for the family. According to Constance, there is nothing she enjoys more than being busy at her machine. She hopes that more clients can trust her to make their clothes.
Gilbert Mjukane
Meet Gilbert Mjukane, one of Wildlife Works’ aspiring designers. Born in Vihiga, an area of Western Kenya, Gilbert is the fifth born in a family of nine girls. He comes from a single parent family and developed an interest in tailoring from his mum who used to sew to earn a living. Since joining Wildlife Works in 2013, he has used his steady income to complete his high school education and also help to educate his younger siblings. At Wildlife Works, he enjoys game drive trips, when staff are treated to a safari drive in the conservancy. During his free time, Gilbert attends tailoring classes and hopes to be an independent designer in the future.
Alfred Shuma
Alfred’s hope is to see the expansion of Wildlife Works’ Eco- factory. The 44-year-old father of two children, aged 17 and 11 years, enjoys learning to work with different designs and styles. Alfred has been working as a machinist for Wildlife Works for the past three years. His steady income has played a great role in educating his children.
Jacinta Kivuva
Jacinta Kivuva is responsible for laying and cutting fabric using paper patterns. The single mother of one is the second born in a family of five. Jacinta came to work at Wildlife Works’ Eco-factory team as a casual worker in 2007 and immediately gained an interest in tailoring. Apart from educating her 10-year-old daughter, Jacinta also helps her parents in their rural home. “My happiest moment is when I am busy cutting the fabric and when I go out for lunch,” she says. Jacinta is thankful to Wildlife Works and our clients for giving them the opportunity to work.
Berta Laxon
Meet Berta. Her work involves cutting and laying the fabric using patterns. She has been working for Wildlife Works eco factory for 10 years now. Berta is a proud single mother of 2 children aged 11 and five years respectively. With her working experience at Wildlife Works, she can comfortably operate other machines as well. Berta provides for her children’s education through the income she earns at Wildlife Works. Ever since she joined Wildlife Works, she has learnt a lot and hopes to continue getting more orders from clients. Berta’s happiest moments are when she is busy, and she hopes to start a business of her own in the future.
Violet Mwanguo
Violet has been working at Wildlife Works since 2005, and she has come a long way when it comes to experimenting with different styles and designs. The third born in a family of six, Violet uses her steady income at Wildlife Works to take care of her 3-year-old son and also take care of her parents. Violet is thankful for the opportunity to work for Wildlife Works because she gets to earn a decent salary. Her happiest moments at work are when she is cutting and laying the fabric.
Nora Matunda
Nora Matunda joined Wildlife Works in 2001 after completing her polytechnic training in dressmaking. Today, she is a Supervisor at Wildlife Works’ Eco factory. Norah uses her salary to educate her four children- the eldest is 19 and the youngest is 5 years’ old. In Addition to that, she is also a stepmother to three children. “Ever since I joined Wildlife Works, I have used my salary to educate my children as well as my stepchildren,” she says. Her hope is to run her own business in the future.
