Students at Camps Bay High made 25 waterproof sleeping bags for the homeless thanks to the help of Better SA, the “Uber” of volunteering.
Camps Bay, South Africa – Jo Maxwell came up with an ingenious way to help keep the homeless warm. It all started while she was out doing charity work, and she noticed street children had flimsy, practically useless blankets.
She went home and looked at what resources she had at home and started experimenting with plastic bags, newspaper and buff tape. After a few hours, Jo made several prototypes. She finalised her design using recycled, heavy-duty plastic bags and ten layers of newspaper.
The result was a sleeping bag that is warm and waterproof and easy to carry. It worked out that the costs of one of these innovative sleeping bags are just R 6.00.
Once she had her prototype sorted, Jo started teaching people how to make them, visiting charities and the likes to inspire people. Her design was so innovative; she was featured on the Design Indaba’s website. It also highlights how to make a bag.
Recently students at Camps Bay High used Jo’s methods to make sleeping bags for the homeless. They teamed up with Better SA.
Better SA is described by South African media as ‘the Uber of volunteering’. The service is free of charge and coordinated from start to finish so that volunteers can make the most impact in the time they have available.
Together, the students were able to make 25 sleeping bags with the help of Better SA volunteers.
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