Ifa Lethu – Kwaggafontein

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Skills That Stick
A mentorship programme in Kwaggafontein focused on reviving indigenous skills and translating them into contemporary, sellable products.
Traditional knowledge and craft techniques are at risk of being lost as older generations age, with few opportunities for formal transmission to youth.
A model of a chromosome showing a Y-shaped yellow structure covered in small beads, with two arms branching from a central point and a black circular cap at one end, representing the centromere. The background is transparent.
1
Month training cycle
1+
Youth-led production teams established
1+
New product range developed and tested in local markets
ART AID facilitated a product development and enterprise growth programme that focused on indigenous skills transfer. Through mentorship, training, and design support, participants learned to adapt traditional crafts for today’s markets.
Participants developed market-ready products using traditional methods, fostering intergenerational knowledge transfer and boosting local entrepreneurship rooted in cultural preservation.
Two women wearing hats and traditional clothing sit at a table painting small wooden crafts with colourful paints. Art supplies, paint jars, and brushes are scattered on the tabletop. Another person works in the background, partially visible.
A group of women sit outdoors on plastic chairs around a rectangular table. They appear to be engaged in a discussion or meeting. Some women wear headscarves and brightly coloured clothing. The scene is sunny, with a building and windows in the background.
A group of people in colourful traditional attire stand outdoors, one holding a large South African flag. In front, a person dressed in animal skins and a headdress dances with a shield and staff. Behind them is a lorry with “Creative Hands Project” written on the side.
A person with medium-brown skin paints a geometric, colourful design on a small white paper. The design features orange, green, and yellow shapes. The person holds a paintbrush in one hand and steadies the paper with the other. A grey surface is underneath.
A person with painted nails threads small colourful beads onto a string around the neck of a black cloth doll. Beads and tools are scattered nearby on a burgundy fabric, and another unfinished doll and a plastic box are also visible.
A close-up of two hands threading a needle with beige thread. The hands rest on colourful floral fabric. Nearby are a blue spool of thread and a pair of blue-handled scissors. The person wears an orange garment.
Two pieces of tan leather, shaped like partial gloves, are decorated with colourful beadwork in geometric patterns. Each has a beaded border and square designs in red, white, and blue beads on the top surface. The background is black.
A woman kneels outside by a concrete wall, applying white paint or plaster to its lower section. She wears patterned clothing and a headband. Several paint buckets sit nearby on dark soil, and the upper part of the wall is painted green.
Two people sit side by side at a table. The person on the left wears a bucket hat and has a scarf covering their lower face, whilst the person on the right, a child, looks ahead. Papers and hands are visible on the table in sunlight.
Three handwoven raffia baskets, one shaped like a large jar with a black and green beaded necklace around its neck, sit next to a covered basket and a tall basket holding a metal cup. The background is beige, enhancing the natural tones of the raffia.
A group of women in colourful traditional clothing stands near blue barrels and a large white mobile clinic van parked on grass. Others sit under a tree, some on chairs, with supplies and bins nearby. A white building and a blue tarpaulin are in the background.
A group of people sit around a blue-covered outdoor table, weaving or crafting items with dark materials. They are focused on their hands. The background includes a mural on a building wall and bright sunlight.
A group of people, mostly women in colourful traditional attire, pose outdoors in front of a large white lorry with
Six women sit and stand around a table outdoors, engaged in discussion. Papers and coloured pencils are spread across the table. The women are dressed warmly; some wear hats or headscarves. Buildings and a garden are visible in the sunny background.
A handmade doll with a straw skirt and red scarf lies on a knitted beige surface beside three small red boxes decorated with white beaded designs: a flower, a heart, and a heart with polka dots.
A display of traditional African crafts, including woven baskets with metal linings, a patterned clay pot, colourful beaded necklaces, a thick woven mat, and painted wooden plaques featuring geometric designs, all arranged neatly on a surface.
Five adults sit around an outdoor table covered with papers, pens, and art supplies. One man gestures while others listen or write. The group seems engaged in a collaborative activity, possibly a workshop or meeting, on a sunny day.
A yellow Y-shaped object made of small beads with a black round end rests on a blue surface decorated with abstract triangle and heart shapes. Shadows are visible, and the background has a soft, textured appearance.
A coiled bracelet made of multiple strands of small, round, shiny red beads. The beads are strung closely together, forming a thick, flexible band. The bracelet’s coils overlap, creating a spiral effect against a white background.
A person in traditional attire, including animal skins, bead jewellery, and a feathered headdress, dances whilst holding a shield and a stick. A group of vibrantly dressed people stand in a semi-circle, watching and celebrating outdoors near a building.
A man sits on a stool outdoors, painting a geometric concrete wall bright blue. He wears a white shirt and teal trousers and uses a small brush. Green grass, trees, and wooden fencing are visible in the sunny background.
A person’s hands thread colourful beads onto a thread over a lavender cloth scattered with mixed beads. They wear a beige jacket and a green-striped scarf. A tube of glue and finished beadwork are visible on the cloth. The scene is sunlit.
Three women sit at a table covered with beads, thread, and craft supplies, focused on making beaded jewellery. Bright sunlight fills the scene. Each woman works intently with their hands, surrounded by colourful tools and materials.
A person with dark skin uses their hands to string black beads onto orange thread. Colourful beads, sewing tools, and fabric are spread out on a blue and pink cloth in the background. The person wears a beige jacket.
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Black text in all capital letters forms a circle on a white background. The text reads: "WHERE INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE BECOMES INDUSTRY." The words are arranged so the sentence wraps in a continuous ring.
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