One person’s waste, another’s wings. A pair of proudly South African wings boast thousands of ‘feathers’ made from all sorts of waste that otherwise would’ve ended up in landfills or the ocean. This is the story behind the Wondrous Wings Project uplifting local communities:
Hillcrest, South Africa (30 January 2025) – In yet another shining example where waste has proved to be an inspired medium, a pair of proudly South African wings are stealing the spotlight!
The latest set in an ongoing project that sees wings quite literally uplift communities; it all began with an idea to put waste to creative use.
Woza Moya—an economic empowerment project of the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust—kickstarted its ‘Wondrous Wings’ project as a way to reduce landfill loads, all while making something beautiful to uplift and inspire people.
Thousands of ‘feathers’ (made largely from plastic) are individually cut to create different pairs of wings, each with its own theme. Materials include everything from old milk bottles to margarine containers, which are meticulously worked into the wing displays.
One Person’s Waste, Another’s Wings
“Our last project was inspired by the Woza Moya Artbank interns Masibulele Nako, Nomfundo Khathi, Manelisi Nene, and Snethemba Ndimande, who were tasked to design and produce a set of wings,” share the Woza Moya team.
“They came up with a South African [inspired] set of wings. The Artbank Interns are with Woza Moya for 4 months and the wings were a group project as well as an interactive way for the interns to get to know crafters.”
“The reason they chose to make wings that represent the South African Flag is that our flag, adopted in 1994 after the country’s transition to democracy, is rich in symbolism and meaning. Its colors—black, green, yellow, red, blue, and white—represent the diverse cultures, histories, and peoples of South Africa, as well as the unity the nation has strived for in overcoming apartheid and moving towards a future of equality and justice. Each colour has its own significance, linking not only to the nation’s past but also to ideals of human rights and social progress, especially the rights to equality, freedom, and dignity for all South Africans, regardless of race, gender, or background.”
Fittingly, the wings will be on display during the Month of March in honour of Human Rights Day.
Many Hands Make Gorgeous Work
Digging into the process, Good Things Guy learned that over 30 beaders, crafters and volunteers cut the plastic feathers precisely to bring the template to life.
Receiving the waste came largely by way of the Litterboom Project, which is the hero group that prevents plastic pollution from getting to the sea, thanks to their innovative upstreaming model.
“Litterboom used this collected river waste from our 1000 Hills community to make feathers and their team to contribute 1400 feathers for the project,” the Woza Moya team share; singing their non-profit partners praises.
“We invested in this partnership because we believe in reducing and recycling waste from as many different sources as possible, and most importantly they align with our values of land based interception of waste, education and innovation, we also wanted to highlight the incredible work that the Litterboom project does, which so far has [successfully prevented] over 1,000,000 kgs of plastic from reaching the ocean through the hard work of only a few strategically placed teams.”
The process of cleaning and cutting materials wasn’t initially attractive to crafters. However, over time (and especially after the first set of wings was showcased), the buy-in got easier and easier.
Where People and Planet Rise Together
Beyond the beauty of upcycling, the initiative also helps provide income to the crafters, who are paid per feather. As such, the project is also skills development opportunity that supports community creatives who are impacted by HIV/AIDS. In this way, the wings also symbolise the rise of not only eco-good but also social good.
“The flag, with its vibrant colors and unifying design, not only speaks to South Africa’s complex past but also reflects the nation’s commitment to a future of inclusivity, equality, and the protection of human rights for all citizens, including those living with HIV. It encourages resilience, hope, and the belief that despite challenges, unity and human rights can lead to a better tomorrow.”
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