Shaka’s Head school drop-out finds new meaning in his beadwork
Although Dumsani Gumbi's childhood had been unpleasant he had learnt the craft from his mother at the age of nine.
Behind Dumsani Gumbi’s outstanding and colourful beadwork, there is a heart-wrenching story.
He grew up with his parents in Mandeni but things went downhill fast when his father chased him out, claiming he was illegitimate.
Gumbi dropped out of school because he was not coping and it was getting more dangerous for him to stay in Mandeni as his relationship with his father continued to deteriorate.
“At that time I was 21 years old doing grade 11 but I had to pack and go.”
He found himself in Shaka’s Head and managed to find a job that paid enough to pay rent and buy his first stock of beads.
Although his childhood had been unpleasant he had learnt the craft from his mother at the age of nine.
“There was nothing else besides my beads and I would lock myself in and talk to my beads. My work had become my best friend.”
For Gumbi beads are more than pretty coloured glass, they hold meaning and come alive through his art.
The colour of the beads he chooses holds significance, depending on what and who they are intended for.
For instance, if he makes a necklace for a couple in love, he said he would use red, white and black.
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“Red stand for love, white for good times and black symbolise that even during the dark days, love will always be there.”
He sells his work from home and rents out some for use in traditional events.
“In 2016, I realised that if I can make a living out of beadwork, surely more unemployed people could do the same. So I started a free bead work class at KwaMama Care Centre.”
He was training about 22 people but unfortunately lost the use of the container that served as a classroom.
“I am in a process of restarting my classes and this time I want to reach out to other townships in KwaDukuza.”
Gumbi has registered an NGO called Ntonhle Trading Investment and hopes to apply for donations of beads and funding to run his classes for the unemployed.
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