a project of the heart by
. . . come with me for a little insight into this extraordinary project,
which I brought to life together with masifunde. . .
izandla zethu
izandla zethu means our hands in the isiXhosa language.
Our hands are made to move and create things.
This thought inspired me to start the project izandla zethu in South Africa,
On this page I would like to give you an insight into this adventure and start in the present. So the further you read, the more you will learn about the creation and development of this project, which is integrated into the programs of masifunde.
In the izandla zethu workshop in Walmer Township, Gqeberha, three trainees learn the basics of goldsmithing in a five-month training course under the guidance of our trainer Phelelani. The training is intended to support in particular young people who cannot find a job after finishing high school or who have dropped out of the formal schooling system.
The participants not only learn to lovingly handcraft necklaces, earrings, bracelets and key rings out of very special materials, but also to deal with the importance of our upcycling concept. In Walmer Township, they collect raw materials and at the same time look for new and innovative ways to reuse materials.
We use corrugated iron as the central basic material, which the residents of South Africa's townships often use to build their huts. We shape and process the material, which basically symbolizes the poverty in these places, and transform it into beautiful pieces of jewellery. In addition, we work with recycled copper wires, colored cotton yarn and leather cords and have just started to process used brass as well.