Farm projects and a sewing scheme in Malawi have been launched thanks to a small craft business in Southampton. 

Kookies Crafts in Woolston is a not-for-profit small business whose vision is to raise funds, support local craft businesses and build a stronger community.

For the past four years, local crafter and former teacher Viv Gilbert has been raising money for numerous projects in Nsanje District Village, one of the poorest in Malawi.

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Heavy rain, cyclones, floods and severe drought have resulted in famine, causing an already poor standard of living to become even worse.

But money raised by Kookies Crafts is making a real difference. 

"We do this by renting shelf space at a nominal rent to local crafters and organising various fund- raising events," said Viv, who owns the shop.

"People in the village are singing and praising and are amazed  by the generosity. It has given them a better standard of living and, by helping this village, is also has a knock on effect in supporting other underdeveloped villages close by."

Latest projects to be completed in the village include the purchase of a field where 138 farmers can grow maize to feed themselves, run a feeding programme and support the nursery school children to have breakfast. 

The village pastor's wife has also been funded to become a seamstress and will teach other women to make clothes to sell.

Three years ago, the brick-built village church building, which is also used as a nursery school during the week, was rebuilt, thanks to funding direct from Woolston. 

Next up, funds have been set aside to start a poultry farm. 

The list of Kookies Crafts workshops during October includes pyrography, encaustic art, which uses bees wax to create art, tea bag folding and two-part resin making.

Crafters in the shop, on Victoria Road, are busy with their creations for The Scarecrow Festival, which takes place during October half term. Residents can enter their scarecrow in return for a packet of bulbs to bring colour to the flower beds around Woolston.