Zimbabwe CSR Update: Chipo Chemawoko Widens Product Range

2024 – 2025 Update

Since 2024, Cotecna Inspection has been proud to support Chipo Chemawoko Creations, a Zimbabwean initiative that empowers deaf women to create and sell unique handcrafted products. As part of our CSR commitments in Zimbabwe, we helped develop a new website to showcase the artistry and talent of the women behind this grassroots project. 

Chipo Chemawoko means “gifted hands” in Shona, a tribute to women who not only use their hands to create, but also to communicate. Founder and CEO Rutendo Zireva leads the initiative with a vision of sustainability, creativity, and community empowerment. 

Chipo Chemawoko Creations, is pleased to share that their handmade pieces have continue to receive steady orders from their supportive community of customers. Rutendo Zireva notes about their customers, “Their love for handmade pretty things and sustainability inspires us to keep creating and growing every day.” 

Now, Chipo Chemawoko is thrilled to unveil their newest handmade collection: upcycled beaded earrings and crotchet earrings—a playful fusion of art, texture, and colour that’s light on your lobes and big on personality. Each pair is handcrafted making every piece a tiny work of wearable art. 

Why Beads and Crotchet?

Beads have a rich history, holding symbolic meaning in many cultures and serving as a form of artistic expression and storytelling. So, when pre-loved costume jewellery has served its purpose, Chipo Chemawoko finds a new way to give the beads a new lease on life through their beaded earrings. 

Crochet brings a beautiful, dimensional texture you just can’t get from machine-made jewellery. The colours pop, and the patterns feel both timeless and fresh. If you love statement earrings but hate heavy ears, these are your new go-tos. Crotchet earrings also allow for the use of scrap yarn which is often discarded. Allowing the use of the whole ball with zero waste. 

What makes these earrings special

✓ Feather-light comfort: All-day wear with no tugging.
✓ Sustainable design: Many pairs incorporate elements of repurposed costume jewellery, giving old treasures a new life while reducing waste.
✓ Small-batch craft: Limited runs so your style stays unique.
✓ Hypoallergenic findings: Nickel-free hooks for happy ears.
✓ Vibrant, lasting color: High-quality beads and fibers that hold shape and hue. 

The inspiration

This collection was especially inspired by Mother’s Day—a celebration of care, beauty, and strength. Chipo Chemawoko wanted to create pieces that feel like a heartfelt gift: joyful, meaningful, and timeless enough to be passed from one generation to the next. 

And because we believe beauty should never come at the cost of the planet, some designs feature recycled and upcycled components—turning what might have been discarded into something new, stylish, and full of story. 

To learn more about Chipo Chemawoko or to place an order, please visit the Chipo Chemawoko website, proudly sponsored by Cotecna.   

About Cotecna

For over 50 years, we have been supporting agriculture, food and pharma, minerals and metals, and consumer products supply chains all over the world. We provide testing, inspection, and certification services to help our clients navigate evolving regulations, ensure product compliance, and support their sustainability journey.