Profile
Gone Rural is a rural empowerment company that is for profit but one with a social mission and one that is committed to the principles of Fair Trade, It was started 18 years ago by the late Jenny Thorne who was a visionary and saw the potential of the ancient braiding skills that local women had.

She immediately saw the products that could be developed and started working with a small group of seven women. This has now grown to over seven hundred women in thirteen areas of Swaziland, Jenny Thorne first called the company Grass Roots as she dealt in cloths and fabrics as well as grass. Then she decided to just concentrate on the grass products and to work in rural areas, so “Gone Rural” was named
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Gone Rural mission is committed to empower rural Swazi women, to help alleviate poverty and support HIV/AIDS orphans by creating a regular income through working with traditional hand-skills to produce unique, beautiful products that are made in the home using locally available and sustainable natural materials.

At Gone rural they produce Home décor, gift ranges, clay candles and bowls, ceramics and grass bowls, table ware and floor mats among others that can be purchased Out of Africa and Indaba at the airport in Johannesburg. They also have many stores in Cape Town, distributors in London and Spain as well as a shop in Swaziland.

In terms of giving back to the community gone rural has started four libraries, donates food, clothing and water on a weekly basis, HIV/AIDS training workshops, counseling and testing services are also conducted.

Gone rural recently completed a strategic plan for the next two years, which has a road map of where they want to go and how they are going to get there, budgets are tied to forecasts so that they know exactly what is coming in and where money needs to be spent in order to achieve their aims.
Gone rural is aiming at setting up a country network that aims to be strong and active in regards to the Fair Trade mission, for they have been able to make contacts through fair trade and getting orders.