A non-profit based in Masiphumelele hopes to upskill the community and build future leaders and facilitators. Founder Athene Knemeyer, runs The Sewing Café, a non-profit organisation (NPO) that trains participants in sewing and stitching.
She said her mother’s love for fashion design influenced her from a young age.
“My mother was a fashion designer and that’s where my love of fashion began. She was actually the trainer of the original sewing programme I expanded in 2013. I’ve always felt a responsibility to contribute, even in my small way, to healing what was so deeply broken in our society, particularly the staggering unemployment and poverty, especially in informal settlements.
“Skills development and job creation aren’t just economic necessities; they’re moral imperatives for our communities,” said Knemeyer.
The Sewing Café produces garments and accessories for brands, schools, corporates, hotels and so on as well as a skills-training centre.
It also has an after-school sewing club for teens from Masiphumelele High.
“We are in the planning stages of launching a hub where entrepreneurs can come along and sew in a studio type space. It will serve as a place where our graduates (and the public generally) can rent machines per hour/day/month and use the equipment and machines to start their own businesses.”
One success story from this initiative is Someleze Jabe (20), who previously worked at The Sew Café. “I’m originally from the Eastern Cape and moved to Masiphumelele in 2013.
“I hold a BCom degree in Management Accounting from Stellenbosch University and I am currently furthering my studies there.
I recently completed a short sewing course at The Sewing Cafe Cape Town.”
Jabe started training at Sewing Café at age 15, in Grade 9.
“I was interested in their sewing programme because I always dreamt of starting something of my own, but didn’t know where to begin due to limited resources.
“When our teacher introduced us to the free high-school sewing programme I saw it as the opportunity I had been waiting for. I joined right away and never looked back. I have gained many skills – team working, sewing , creativity, customer engagement and many more.
The challenge at the beginning was that I didn’t have any prior knowledge about sewing machines or pattern making, so it took some time for me to adjust to a sewing and factory environment, but with patience from the programme teachers and Athene I became the best of myself.”
Jabe also started a new business, Jabeson Bags.
“I see myself as having a big factory with lots of machines, as Athene has, with me providing jobs to people and contributing to lessening an ever-increasing unemployment rate in South Africa.
“I also see myself as having stores across the country and continuing manufacturing strong, quality products that will tell our township stories and struggles to the world, and show people one’s background doesn’t determine one’s future. “As long as you are determined and passionate about your business you will make it.”
