Traditional and Contemporary

Etafeni Dress
Originally uploaded by notionnanny.

I recently made a friend in London who turned me on to the important work of Stephanie Kilroe, director of fundraising for the Etafeni Playgroup Project of the Nyanga township in Cape Town. It is a non-profit daycare center for children whose lives and families are affected by HIV/AIDS.

In order to empower the community economically, the Income Generation Project trains HIV-positive men and women in making beaded crafts, smocked dresses, and patchwork fabric. The makers are paid for the items they make, which are then sold internationally.

For more information, see Bee at Marcos and Trump, 146 Columbia Rd., London E2 7RG, where you can purchase one of these lovely smocked dresses for £45, £40 of which goes directly to Etafeni.