Vanessa Nsona

Vanessa Nsona designs and hand makes bags, shoes, jewelry, and hair accessories. All of her products are uniquely created through Malawian fabrics and recycled materials such as old car tires, wasted leather, and dried seeds. She trains and employs underprivileged women to make accessories for her business. She is a member of Soroptmist International of Blantyre (SIB), a women’s charity organization that aims at helping less advantaged women and children. Vanessa has partnered with Samaritan Trust to create a project called Luso to raise funds by creating and promoting Malawian fashion designs. Her key responsibilities are designing, quality control, marketing of afro-centric designs, and mentoring children in design. She holds a diploma in Business Management. After completing the Washington Fellowship, she plans to use the new knowledge and skills acquired to expand her social enterprise by setting up a manufacturing industry. Vanessa was one of 100 Fellows competitively selected to participate in an 8-week internship in the United States following the Mandela Washington Fellowship academic institute. She interned at 54 Kingdoms in August-September 2014.