The one thing I love to talk about is when the students produce a new product from just a verbal description of what a client had in mind. The students are taught design thinking principles as part of the 12-month program enabling them to be able to think out the box and take on challenges that people that support the project put to them. Design thinking is an essential part of empowering and uplifting people to be able to work with just more than one simple product that they have been taught.
What’s become dubbed the “Yoga mat bag project” has grown from a simple single order into what is now the third repeat order making it possible for Bongi and her team to look at turning this into an entirely new product line that can be made by the sewing centre in Swannaville they are also looking into new ways to distributed via various retail shops and online stores. That focus on esoteric or health products
To an outsider it may not seem like much in making a “simple bag” but there are many factors that have to be taken into account such as, as in this case, dealing with mixed fabric types, zip placement, handles, dimensions, the quantity of fabric requires and much more.
This has been made possible through the support of private-sector donations of fabric and also through the sale of these bags which helps funds to be raised for ongoing training and mentorship
Yoga to success
