Responsible playmates
Established in 2019, Mend Collective is a Zimbabwean, women-run social enterprise that creates opportunities for women in the country.The studio donates 20% of its net profits to impactful initiatives. Mend Collective handcrafts portable game sets from local vegetable-tanned goat leather and handcarves game pieces from indigenous springstone, paying homage to Zimbabwe's world-renowned, ancient and enduring sculptural soapstone carving heritage. “We design each product ourselves, considering ease of access, ease of travel, weight and the general aesthetics of each game.”
Mend Collective is inspired by travel and local culture and champions local craft and industry through quality craftsmanship and mindful choices of production processes and materials. The Harare-based studio is eco-friendly and has reduced its carbon footprint by locally sourcing everything. Each game is sewn on manual Singer sewing machines that require no electricity to run, and 80% of the leather is processed using a non-toxic process that prevents toxic off-run into water systems.
Where
Mend Collective
