Case study - FASHION LAB
Zalesi: From Trainee to Trainer
Figure 1. Zalesi and Her Manual Machine
“Beyond becoming a well-known seamstress in Chimphangu, Zelesi has become a tailoring trainer who, by august 2021, had also equipped seven people, five women and two men, to get established as tailors.”
Figure 2. Zalesi, Her Supportive Husband and Their Newly Constructed House
Life is constantly changing, requiring humans to keep adjusting and learning new things. In the design and tailoring world, fashion and its associated styles constantly evolve due to influences from other cultures or people's desire to try new styles. Therefore, designers and tailors are also required to keep improving their skills.
It was in 2016 when 27-year-old Zelesi Samson graduated from the Mayamiko Fashion Lab. She spent six months learning skills such as operating a sewing machine, using other tools, stitching, pattern making, cutting and measuring. Five years have gone by, and Zelesi testifies as to how her skills have continued to improve due to persistent practice and teaching others.
Zelesi is a popular seamstress in the Chimphangu area in Lilongwe city. People refer to her house as 'Kwa a telala' (the tailor's house). Today she can sew almost anything, from bridal dresses to trousers and jackets. She thinks that she can sew anything as long as she has understood a design and the pattern required. From her tailoring, she can save more than MK 50,000 per month - sometimes more - after subtracting capital invested and cash for household needs. She states confidently how many customers she receives are those who have admired her previous work worn by their friends.
The success of her career is also as a result of the support she receives from her husband. Apart from the manual sewing machine, he bought for her an electric machine which she uses whenever there are tight deadlines. She temporarily employs a lady who uses the other machine to keep up with orders and keep customers happy.
"I have realised that the skill that Mayamiko Trust gave me must be shared. This also helps me continually improve because before teaching others, I have to go back to my notes and other sources of information. I am perfecting my skills and, most importantly, helping others find a new source of income. I have just finished training a lady who is studying for her Diploma at Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (LUANAR). She told me that she wanted hands-on skills and had heard that I was a good trainer."
Zelesi's training course takes three months, and learners pay a total of MK45,000 ($53). She always agrees on the schedule with the trainee, fitting it in with their schedule and making sure her tailoring work is also not compromised. She mainly handles one trainer at a time. Each student has to learn the basics of tailoring, but together they customise a curriculum to the learner's interests.
When asked how her life has improved because of the tailoring skill, Zelesi's husband was quick to respond:
"Profits from my wife's tailoring business have always acted as a cushion whenever I have little or no income. When my salary is late, our household is not affected; she supports us. Look at us! We have managed to build this house through our consolidated efforts. My wife is my partner in wealth creation, and we are grateful to the Mayamiko Trust for giving her the skills which allow this."
The two have constructed a house together with spare space to host Zalesi's tailoring business. While her fellow trainees may be busy using their Fashion Lab skills to sew clothes for-profit, Zelesi is also selling her skills. For her, Mayamiko Trust gave her a seed which she sowed to bear much more fruit.