Itirele means ‘make it yourself’ in Setswana (the national language to Botswana).

The purpose of Itirele is to bring handcrafted artifacts made by people living with a disability
to you from across Southern Africa. Skilled craftspeople show their creative and cultural
heritage, through the items they make, beyond their disability. The colours, shapes, and
materials used in their artifacts provide a sense of place. The craftspeople presenting their
work hope it will inspire others with impairment and disability to show what they can do
when they ‘make it themselves’.

Currently, there are a small number of craftspeople displaying their work on the site. The
Charity supporting this initiative, the Southern African Federation of the Disabled, SAFOD,
will expand the collective as Itirele generates more funds through sales of artifacts to
support and invest in new craftspeople living with a disability.
We hope you enjoy the work on display and want to bring a small piece of Southern Africa to
your home.

If you would like to know more about the Itirele initiative, and the Crafts Abilities programme
from which it was born, please contact us.