The Western Cape once had a booming clothing manufacturing industry, imports destroyed it; today, those skilled ladies make Shelterbags for people in need.
Cape Town, South Africa (03 February 2023) – The local Shelterbag team has set its sights on bettering the future for their team, the homeless and displaced, and South Africa.
The Sheltersuit was developed by Bas Timmer in the Netherlands, Europe, as an answer to the influx of refugees who were left without shelter in a foreign place. The suit offered protection from cold weather that many refugees had never experienced before. As the organisation grew, it employed the very refugees they were working to save.
Soon, the suits were being made by the refugees for refugees. As the suits got international recognition, the global foundation was established. It now works in countries across the globe, including South Africa!
The only difference is that the Sheltersuit is actually a Shelterbag in South Africa because we have a milder climate compared to Europe. The Shelterbag was established in 2020 after a successful trial period in 2019.
The Shelterbag which is made in South Africa, is specifically adapted to warmer climates and provides protection from the wind and rain. It is compact, and lightweight which allows for unsheltered people to easily transport it with them wherever they go as a daily-use bag, so their goods are protected and in one place. Due to its lightweight and compact design, it is the item of choice when assisting people who find themselves displaced, whether economically, politically or socially.
What makes the project even more special is that as it grows, the team are able to tap into a massive resource in the Western Cape – seamstresses.
Sadly, due to cheaper imports, the once-booming textile and clothing manufacturing industry collapsed and thousands of skilled seamstresses were let go. The Shelterbag team is working to bring these women back to the skill that once earned them their wages. Now they use that skill for good!
The Shelterbag team shared their plans for the project in South Africa recently and it shows great promise in uplifting thousands of lives.
“The Team of dedicated crafters of the superbly manufactured, robust shelterbag are engaged to learn and earn. Our team consists of people who are experienced seamstresses from the once robust and functional textile and clothing manufacturing industry in the Western Cape which collapsed after the influx of imports. We are striving to revive the manufacturing capability that we have by utilising the resources of many skilled machinists who are unemployed.
We are passionate about youth development and employment creation and constantly seek out candidates for our training programme that show promise, ability and entrepreneurial characteristics.
We are dedicated to supporting local businesses and want to ensure that the sustainability of our project and businesses in South Africa are all part of our journey. Every component that we use in the manufacturing process is purchased from local suppliers and we have established shared value relationships with all our partners, distributors, associates and funders.
Our highly proficient team have been observed in action by many visitors who are intrigued by our product and our philosophy which combines nuturing skills development and creating a solution to the problem of homelessness.”
You can find out more about the organisation here.
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