We are a tourist destination in Hout Bay and hope that we inspire by our story, interaction with our team and watching our production. We collect used tea bags from all over the world. The recycled tea bags are used to make handmade, one of a kind, high quality products. Tea bags are dried, emptied, ironed then painted! Each artist has their own individual styles and patterns. There may be similarities, but no two painted tea bags are identical. These miniature works of art are then applied to stationary, wooden trays, coasters, fabric items, wall decor and the ideas keep flowing!
What skills and resources were you able to draw from the community for this project?
Initially we received relatively little support. Over time, we’ve been able to draw on many talented and creative people to train our staff in sewing and design. We’ve developed relationships with tour companies and businesses, received assistance from volunteers and even occasionally some donations like left-over materials from designers.
The challenges
Jill Heyes and her husband, Charlie, moved from England to Hout Bay, South Africa, in 1996. Upon arrival, Jill was horrified by the overwhelming poverty and apparent hopelessness in the local informal settlement of Imizamo Yethu. Whilst trying to think of a way to help the community, Jill was approached by a local township resident named Thelma, who asked Jill to teach her a hand craft skill and so began what was later to become Original T-Bag Designs.
Addressing the challenges
From humble beginnings Original T-Bag Designs has grown into a sustainable business which employs 20 women from Imizamo Yethu Township who were trained to become skilled and talented artists. The project thus supports their extended families throughout South Africa. Both International and local tourists visit our Hout Bay workshop to enjoy a tour during which they meet the artists who produce our unique works of art. Jill Heyes, now affectionately known as ‘The T-Bag Lady’, along with her T-Bag team, has created a working environment where people have gained far more than employment. As each tea leaf is crucial to a perfect brew, so each individual at Original T-Bag Designs is central to a business that has become a family. The organisation also supports and promotes other local community initiatives by selling the products of the Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD) Bethseda Hout Bay, the NOAH Soap Project, and The Group of Hope – an inmate-driven initiative to help address the widespread effects of the AIDS epidemic. For a group of previously disadvantaged people in Hout Bay near Cape Town, South Africa, one cup of tea has indeed provided community, love, excitement, financial security and HOPE.
The achievements
Our products have been recognised in various parts of the world. We’ve also been honoured to be voted as the #1 attraction in Hout Bay on Trip Advisor. For 20 years we have created a sustainable Socially Responsible company that has employed many people, but more importantly attempted to create a nurturing environment.
Johannesburg, South Africa
