The Magic Bean Foundation is a non-profit organisation which was started by 2 motivated women, Lorraine Parkes and Shelley Stievenart, Their vision is mentoring & empowering the community to develop skills by sharing knowledge to create improved lives & restoring the planet.

 

As part of the main project, called Ilumbo, community members are mentored and taught how to utilise recyclable materials in order to turn them into practical, reusable and commercially sellable items. Products range from bags and hats to table mats and pot holders (and many more!)

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The first workshop was held in Umlazi G section. At each workshop the community is taught how to make 'Plarn' which is plastic yarn and how to crochet the yarn into basic pot planter. The communities are then mentored through the process and given measurements for the commercial items sold the most. Ensuring the colour combinations and styles are fresh and relevant is key to the success of this project. The Magic Bean Foundation has grown into an organisation that now empowers community members who have perfected their skills to become trainers at workshops held in other communities. The original team of ladies from Umlazi namely G Magic Team work at the stands in the shopping centres and flea markets to sell the goods, they pay for their own transport and earn commission from the sells of the other ladies items, therefore making it a sustainable model.

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“We want to give opportunities to the many people who are sitting at home or on the streets not earning money. We can do this by sharing a skill with them that involves donated items or plastic they can reuse to create something to sell for food for their families,” says Lorraine.