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Tools for Self Reliance Cymru
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"People cannot be developed: they can only develop themselves" - Julius Nyerere |
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Page updated 14/9/07 Tools for Self Reliance groups collect old and unwanted hand tools; we clean, repair and sharpen them and send tool kits to grass roots community groups in 6 African countries, but mostly Tanzania at present. TFSR Cymru is one of 70 TFSR groups in the UK, based in Crickhowell. We are a registered charity, and work towards a more equitable sharing of the world's resources. TFSR Cymru are a bunch of over 50 volunteers, men and women aged 14 to 81. We meet in our fully-equipped workshop where we repair and renovate hand tools in their thousands. The tools are donated by individuals, or collected by a wide variety of other organisations from across Wales. We have been fairly successful at collecting, but we still have a shortage of certain items, especially anvils and other tools for blacksmiths. |
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 Could you work without
tools? In the past 22 years we
have sent over 330 tool kits (each valued at over £1,200)
to craftsmen and women in rural communities of Africa. Tools
mean work, and the chance to shape the future is just as
important to a young person in Tanzania or Ghana as in
Britain.Volunteers are always needed to join us in Crickhowell, or at one of the 6 other TFSR groups in Wales. Men or women any age, bring along your skills, or come and learn how to handle a hammer. There’s always plenty to do from cleaning and sharpening tools, to making and packing crates. There is always somebody around to help show you what needs doing. Money! Although the tools pour in and are being continually shipped overseas (or more likely because of this), we also need cash to operate. For instance, it costs us £20 to buy 4 new saw files, which we include in every carpentry kit for a group of 6 workers. |
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Your help can really make a difference to our partners in Africa. FIND OUT more about our
work, our new project
"More Tools for Tanzania", which
tools we need now, and which tools are
available for sale. Visit our
website by clicking
here. |
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Summer 2007
news roundup. Our
summer is dominated by attending festivals that include
Glastonbury, The Big Green Gathering and more locally the
Green Man Festival. We put up a display about our
work, sell tools - billhooks and axes are very popular, and
demonstrate our pedal power forge blower (see picture
right). This year we were pleased to welcome Deo
Nkwabi, Technical Officer for Small Industries Development
Organisation (SIDO) in Mwanza for a two month stay. He
attended festivals with us and talked to people about life
in Tanzania. Our second container of un-refurbished
tools left Crickhowell in March,
arriving in Mwanza in June. We are
holding an open day on Saturday 20th October from 10am to
1pm where there will be an opportunity to see the latest
tool kits, the Tangawizi Forge will be in action and
refreshments will be available. There will also be
tools for sale made by Ikulwa Blacksmiths.
You can
download our
latest newsletter (Sept 2007) here (pdf file). |
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Contact us: Volunteers are always welcome; simply contact us:- click here.
or ring 01874 730155
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 Opening Times for
refurbishing:- Open For Sale of Tools:- |
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