Of the six environmental campaigns at the Two Oceans Aquarium, it is Rethink the Bag that is blazing an inspiring trail for the rest to follow. Since officially launching the move to ban plastic shopping bags in South Africa four years ago, there has been significant progress. As part of the Aquarium’s commitment to this worthy cause, sourcing alternative carrier bags needs to be a successful part of the strategy and here, particularly, we would like to introduce Umoja.
A chance meeting brought Liliane Mukidi, of the Umoja sewing project and Rethink the Bag together, and an energised and successful partnership is fast emerging. The emphasis is to repurpose used marketing material to create jazzy, long-life, responsibly-made shopping bags as an alternative to reaching for yet another destructive plastic bag. Using either soft, flowing fabric from past in-house exhibits or the robust vinyl banner material mostly used for marketing purposes, the project has resulted in remarkable products. And the bags are making a statement, as they prove to be truly appealing to Aquarium staff. There are plans to eventually make similar bags available to the general public via other channels, chiefly via local supermarkets.
The Umoja (Spirit of Togetherness) sewing project began in 2002 at the initiative of Mukidi, who approached Jubilee Community Church with a vision of offering skills training and development for unemployed women in the local community. As a trained seamstress with a qualification in business and administration, Mukidi has valuable skills that can be passed on, giving women an opportunity to gain transferable skills, which in turn they can use to generate an income for themselves and their families. Jubilee responded positively to the request and provided domestic sewing machines, material and a venue.
The project began with the training of 12 women. It became apparent that it was not enough to merely offer skills development, but that the women required the opportunity for income generation. In September 2004, Umoja embarked on a partnership with Tamarind cc, an effective network that has been providing Umoja with regular contracts for work since from South African retailers and designers such as Woolworths, Foschini, Hip Hop, Evolve, Afro Gear, Philosophy and others.
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Umoja has thrived since its expansion into income generation. From a core group of 12 participants in 2002, it grew to 35 women who were involved on a permanent basis. From 2006 to 2010, Umoja had 50 women employed in different sewing and beading projects. And the quality of goods it produces, the commitment to the project and the consistency of contracts awarded – contracts that have assisted Umoja in becoming a sustainable and effective income-generation project – is a testament to its success.
In 2012, the cheap Chinese product market, which caused many manufacturers to close down, affected Umoja heavily, but the project managed to survive with small orders from a young, individual designer.
Of the new joint venture, Mukidi says: "We are committed to the partnership with the Two Oceans Aquarium in the project Rethink the Bag. If given all the necessary opportunities and equipment, Umoja is dedicated to training as many people as we can in the Western Cape, and the rest of South Africa, with the skills of sewing different types of recycled and reusable shopping bags, which will help us to reduce the use of plastic bags in our society."
So the next time you are wondering where to source conference bags or any style of bag for that matter, give Mukidi a call – and support local small business and help the environment at the same time. The bags are not only extremely versatile, but also so attractive that they will be a hot topic of conversation with your friends. And you must admit that “Made in Cape Town” has a very nice ring to it.
Umoja is now situated at the Mowbray Presbyterian Church in Cape Town and Liliane Mukidi can be contacted on 076 461 7036.
Happy stylish shopping!
