CREATING employment by teaching women ‘magical’ skills is what Lorraine Parkes and Shelley Stievenart of the Magic Bean Foundation do.

The Magic Bean Foundation upskills women and teaches them how to crochet and create usable items with plastic bags. Speaking to Northglen News, Parkes explained how the foundation kicked off. |

“Shelley wanted to teach her two sons to knit, but they were horrified. So we started a coffee club and brainstormed ideas about how we could save the world,” she said.

Neighbours, friends and family all came together to learn from each other over cups of coffee and, from that, the idea of teaching the same skills to the underprivileged emerged and the Magic Bean Foundation was born.

“At the time, I was unemployed and freelancing. We saw a gap in the system for skills development and to teach people how to financially sustain themselves. Our main project is the crocheting of plastic shopping bags,” said Parkes.

All of the items, such as beach bags, mats, pot plant holders, wine holders, satchels and backpacks, are made from plastic bags.

“We use plastic bags because we are trying to reduce waste. We supply the individuals with a needle and the skills. All that’s required of them is their time,” she added.

Workshops are held throughout KwaZulu-Natal, with Durban workshops taking place in G-Section in uMlazi, and Mt Moriah near Phoenix. The classes are a collective of 25 women.

“If anyone would like to hold a workshop to teach skills, they can contact us via our Facebook page,” said Parkes.

The foundation has also partnered with Singakwazi Aid, which collects second-hand clothes that are sold to women in G-Section at a very low cost. The women then resell these items to create an income.

The funds are used to purchase supplies for two soup kitchens, one of which has functioned since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The foundation has also partnered with the uMhlanga Round Table 155, which offers the women a space at the Christmas tree sale event.

The Ballito Lifestyle Centre also offers the women retail space and pays for their transport to and from the mall.

To join, contact the foundation via email at info@magicbeanfoundation.com. Orders from interior designers and corporates are also welcome.  

* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news

Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za)

You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532. 

For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram