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May 29, 2008

Ladies of Djibo Launch

'The Ladies of Djibo Embroidery Club' sounds like something Alexander McCall-Smith might have dreamed up. Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday afternoon, the veranda resonates with the plip-plap of ladies' sandals, the cawing of laughter and the repetitive tickety-whirr of half a dozen embroidery needles.

All right, so the needles are inaudible, I made that last bit up. But they must be working extremely hard, because the Ladies of Djibo product range is growing at an astounding rate. And today we are proud to launch the official Ladies of Djibo website, for your perusal and pleasure.

All the items you see on the Ladies of Djibo website are available for order. In true African style, prices are negotiable - at least until the requisite market research has been carried out!

You remember Mariama Gurbitinoowo? She's one of the star members of The Ladies of Djibo: official Embroiderer of Stylized Cockroaches onto Napkins and Tea Towels. Mariama was saying only the other day how this project has changed her life for the better - getting paid to embroider makes her self-sufficient in a way she has never known before. Here is a photo of her:

Embroidering with a baby in one hand is not easy. So whenever Mariama's son disrupts the embroidered-insect-production, he ends up tied to Charlie's back:

Charlie is currently in England, taking the Ladies' work on a tour of Chichester gift shops before moving on to the fashionable London boutiques. She is hoping they will commission lots of Quirky Cockroach Napkin Sets and other equally engaging products, thereby keeping the Ladies of Djibo needles busy for the next few months.

Why not get in early and commission something from the Ladies of Djibo? Browse the website and then email

Posted by sahelsteve at May 29, 2008 04:19 PM