In the Zulu language the word for ‘rejoice’ is jabulani. In some of the areas around Durban, South Africa, the high prevalence of AIDS and a lack of employment opportunities mean that it is perhaps heard less often than it should be.
When Paula Goosen set up her bead jewellery business to provide work for women from among the disadvantaged of the post-apartheid era, Jabulani seemed an appropriate 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, the journey has been a tough learning experience 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.’