In the Zulu language the word for ‘rejoice’ is ‘jabulani’. Perhaps it is heard less often than it should be. In some areas around Durban, South Africa, the high prevalence of AIDS and a lack of employment opportunities have stripped much of the joy from communities.
But none of this stopped Paula Goosen from setting up her bead jewellery business to provide work for women from among the disadvantaged of the post-apartheid era, choosing Jabulani as its name. It conveys the new hope that comes with the promise of a stable source of income. It also reflects the vibrant colours of traditional beadwork.
With no real training or experience in running a business, it has been a tough learning curve for Paula. From its small beginnings in 1991 the venture now has nine permanent staff and provides work to around 100 others in the Ndedwe area some 80km north of Durban. The work helps to preserve the traditional skills of the people and offers the rest of the world an opportunity to purchase what could otherwise become a dying art form. ‘What I find amazing,’ says Paula, ‘is that many of the women are illiterate and cannot count and yet they consistently reproduce these intricate geometric designs with such accuracy.’
The dream is to provide a crèche so that the women can come and work together more regularly and to develop other ways of giving practical support to the women, such as contributing to medical expenses. ‘We could do so much more – we just need to sell more,’ is Paula’s straightforward analysis. Jabulani supplies the South African tourist market through a major wholesaler to the national parks and airport shops, and also exports to organisations such as Tearcraft. ‘We really want people to be inspired by the jewellery itself and by the difference that purchasing it makes. We have whole families who obtain a significant part of their income from their beadwork.’