Izilipasi

The Izilipasi project – an update.
(part of the COMMUNITY ARTs THERAPY programme / CATh).

The Izilipasi project, which is part of CATh, has just recently re-started after a long break. Previous women have either moved, or sadly, died. We now have a small, but dedicated group of women who meet once a week at our premises in Nyanga.

Our premises consist of two containers which were donated to us by Breadline Africa, and are situated in the school grounds of St Mary’s primary school, just off Lansdowne Road. Most of these women have now been employed by a sewing project, which operates for 5 days a week. While we were sad to see them leave us, we are delighted that the skills we shared amongst us has meant that they have full time jobs!

On Tuesdays a counselling service is available to the women (who are all HIV+), and on Friday’s we offer a support group. On most days the women use these meeting times as an opportunity to sew and bead. We had been making mostly brooches and cards, and more recently, beautiful Christmas decorations. We successfully completed our first corporate order of 5500 hearts and stars, which were given to employees as a small gift at their end-of-year Christmas party.

Each item is hand sewn, and is made up of felt and glass beads. The women have the freedom to make up their own designs, unless something specific has been requested.  Please feel free to contact us should you like to place an order for slippers, Christmas decorations etc.

The Fikelele Task team at St Thomas’s church in Rondebosch has been giving us 8 food hampers each month, which we divide between the neediest mothers and the children’s therapy group (which also meets weekly). We have started a small veggie garden, and aim to provide 30 spaces for the mothers and children.

If anyone would like to be involved in any of these projects, or would like to order some of our items, please send a fax or email to Angela Rackstraw at fax number: 0866722896 (local) or +27866722896 (international), or Angela.