By Leigh Andrews
When a colleague told me about the Ilithuba skirts she had seen at a recent craft market, which support the Boitumelo Sewing Project, I wanted to find out more. I got in touch with Samantha Botes, Ilithuba’s Sales and Marketing Manager, who explained ilithuba’s relationship with the Boitumelo Project and the Topsy Foundation, as well as how this ‘raises spirit’ in the rural communities.
‘ilithuba’ is an isi-Zulu word, meaning ‘opening opportunity’. It is also a social enterprise that partners Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) with Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) building skills; developing sellable products that participants can earn an income from in their aim to become independent. Tina Craig is the Concept Developer of Ilithuba. While on holiday in London, she purchased a beautiful knee-length skirt with a screen-printed patch on the front. For many years, the skirt sat in her wardrobe, until one day she pulled it out and started brainstorming an idea of getting involved with a local NGO to create hand-designed, hand-finished patches for skirts that gave a glimpse of life in South Africa, using the skills and creativity of individuals. Craig also became interested in community development as a volunteer at Westbury Early Childhood Development Centre, run by the Johannesburg Child Welfare Society. Working with families from the poor community of Westbury, she realised the need for concrete skills development, through which community members can build skill and income. From there, Craig moved into the position of fundraiser at The Johannesburg Child Welfare Society, furthering her interests in social enterprise as she worked with Thembalethu, a day centre for street girls and destitute women located at the Drill Hall, Hillbrow. Thereafter, Craig studied community development through UNISA, in order to gain a better understanding of community dynamics; development ideas; and social enterprise principles. Combining the skirt idea with her experience working at the Johannesburg Child Welfare Society and the practical knowledge from studying, Ilithuba was born.
Ilithuba is currently in partnership with Hillbrow’s Boitumelo Sewing Project and Zintle Arts and Crafts, as well as the Topsy Foundation in Grootvlei, Mpumalanga. Its involvement with Boitumelo concentrates on the development of the colourful Ilithuba skirts, as Boitumelo offers a skills development craft course that provides insight into different creative ways of developing an income; building self-esteem; and offering a safe and peaceful environment away from home. As the best crafters tend to leave Boitumelo on completing the course, ilithuba has pegged on to the existing infrastructure, offering graduates of the craft course another avenue to explore their creativity and skills. As a customer of Boitumelo, Ilithuba benefits by receiving beautiful, hand-crafted patches for the skirts and giving participants another challenge in the shape of a skirt. Boitumelo, in turn, benefits by offering participants an alternative income from their own activities through sales to Ilithuba.
Ilithuba was employed by Topsy in 2008 to perform a number of tasks: revive its existing Sewing Department; build a successful social enterprise around skills development and economic empowerment; develop marketable products; and bring products to the market place. While most NGOs today are under pressure to become sustainable, much of the funding received from donors does not cover administration; product development; linking to the market place; and sales positions. By understanding this gap in funding, ilithuba offers a comprehensive model that encompasses all the factors required to develop a successful social enterprise. It is currently fully-funded by ABSA Mpumulanga.
Zintle Arts and Crafts is a community-based organisation of five women who work from the Hillbrow Recreational Centre, creating beautiful hand-crafted items. Zintle and Ilithuba work hand-in-hand with the development of the ‘ilithuba scrap collection’. This is the collection and re-use of scrap fabric for the production of placemats; cell phone bags; and other items. The Scrap Collection is in product development stage, and should be released in June this year.
The Boitumelo Project was formed in November 2001 by the administration of the Outreach Project in Hillbrow. A group of 60 students, mostly women, meets daily in a safe environment to learn and share craft skills. The project has trained facilitators over the years, and has engaged students and facilitators in training with other organisations; collaborating with artists and galleries; and creating artwork responding to social issues affecting our daily lives. The aims of the Boitumelo Project are to create hope; find inner healing; and facilitate communication within the community. The project uses the arts in a nurturing manner to develop self worth that could lead to products that will offer income to the families to exercise economic independence. The mission statement, ‘stitching our lives together,’ is a core belief at the project.
Botes explains that while Boitumelo makes the ilithuba skirts at present, Topsy will also start to make these skirts in July or August this year as part of its skills development programme. In terms of the skirts’ development, the following rules are adhered to: no tracing, so all patches must be hand-sketched; -designed; and –completed and there is no repetition, so each skirt is 100% unique. While there are a few popular designs, such as the Joburg; Nkosi Sikelele Africa; and Madiba range, the team strives to make every patch individual, by using slightly different colours, designs, and perceptions. Grammar and spelling is also not edited, as mistakes make it part of the person who made it. At the beginning of the month, each participant places an order with the facilitator for the colours they wish to work with for the different section of the skirt (body; waist band; and patch).
Each participant also chooses their own colour combinations, with some direction from a history of sales and popular colour combinations. The majority stick to conservative colour combinations, but self-expression comes through when using purple and red; orange and red; and mustard and pink. Botes adds that these ‘strange’ colour combinations are usually the ones that sell the fastest. Each participant then works on their own designs, with constant support and advice from the facilitators and manager of Boitumelo. Once the patch is completed, the participant sews the skirt together and presents it for purchase. Each participant then becomes known by their own brand inside the ilithuba brand, with Mary known for her ‘Joburg’ skirts; Gladys for her butterflies and dragonflies; and Mamatha and Amelia for their bead and sequin work.
Ilithuba believes in paying its participants straight away, unlike other organisations that pay on a consignment basis. As ilithuba is female-run it understands the need for participants to be paid outright at the end of each month. Ilithuba also pays higher than the rates suggested by the National Bargaining Council of South Africa, and will never create a ‘sweat shop’ scenario. While this does impact on ilithuba’s bottom line, supporting its participants and creating beautifully hand-designed and -crafted skirts is the core principle for ilithuba, setting it apart from others.
Some of Ilithuba’s participants work from home, lessening overhead costs, and allowing participants to create an income while fulfilling the day-to-day needs of raising families; assisting neighbours and communities; as well as personal needs.
Ilithuba also works with the Topsy Foundation. Topsy approached Ilithuba in 2008, and the team thought: “Wow, what a challenge this will be!” It expanded and refined its model to include training and development; developed a new product line with Topsy in mind, titled, ‘Circles for Life’, and jumped right in. The Topsy Foundation has a fully-functional sewing room that was put into hibernation while funding and a consultant were found in the mid-2000s. Topsy approached Ilithuba in June 2008 to revive its sewing room and offer skills development and economic empowerment for community members of Grootvlei, and clinic patients from a 70km radius. Botes says this was a real challenge for Ilithuba, moving from an urban to rural focus; as well as working inside a clinic; and working with a project located 125km from the Johannesburg point of sale area. The Topsy Tinyiko Sewing Project is currently concentrating on their ‘Circles for Life’ Campaign. Taking off-cuts and donations of fabric, Ilithuba teaches participants about colour combinations; texture; and hand embroidery. Some participants are illiterate, so training begins with finding out if they are right- or left-handed, and teaching them how to hold a tailor’s pencil; use scissors; and draw a circle from a pattern. Once participants have grasped a basic understanding of colour combination and embroidery, the skills development system is introduced, beginning with the Ilithuba table and homeware collection, where the circles are used as enhancements. Botes says that from here, the project will move on to include bags. These were launched in 2002 and designer, Ella Butter, is currently updating their design. The skills development system comes to completion with the development of Ilithuba skirts.
Botes says, “each step brings new skills, and participants are growing in skills every day. We also bring basic business skills along the way, such as inventory; costing; cash flow; ordering; marketing; promotion; and selling.” Craig was especially impressed with the group’s contribution to the annual SWOT analysis presented at Topsy’s annual Strategic Planning Session.
Topsy benefits as Ilithuba has added another income-generation product to its current beaded items; it offers the possibility of joint ventures with Topsy’s beading department; assists with Topsy’s brand awareness and building; and offers income generation to the community that surrounds Grootvlei, thus aiding in better nutrition; family health; and independence. Topsy also helps to promote the Ilithuba name through its brand. Botes adds, “We look forward to introducing Ilithuba@Topsy skirts later in the year. Although we have been in partnership with Topsy since mid-2008, we are only launching this new product line towards the beginning of April 2010.” So, keep an eye out for this!
In essence, Ilithuba creates economic empowerment and develops skills by offering a clip-on addition to any NGO using existing infrastructure to add a new product line or challenge to existing participants; and can create a whole new product range and teach participants all the skills required to compete in the market place. Ilithuba uses quality inputs in its products; pays participants well, and on completion of products, concentrates on hand designs, hand embroidery, beading and other enhancements so that participants can work from home or in areas without access to sewing infrastructure. This ethical organisation encourages all participants to use the creativity they naturally have – Botes concludes that we all have some creativity, it just needs to be tapped.
For further information, contact Samantha Botes on 082 927 2038 or visit the Ilithuba website on
www.ilithuba.co.za.