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Ethnic bags
Township Patterns CC is a social enterprise which allows the women from the Khayelitsha township near Cape Town to have stable work and to earn a steady income through their sewing skills. It is a profitable enterprise that not only provides the livelihood for these women and their families but also promotes their work.Founder and Designer of the brand, Nicole-Marie Iresch plays a big part in the design of the objects created and sold. The fabrics are designed according to the local colour and tradition and the products are manufactured locally through the competence and work-ethic of the women of Khayelitsha.
Their products are simultaneously original, trendy, ethnic, colourful, practical and solid. These articles have a beautiful story, symbolising success for the founders of a social and human project that engaged the local communities, allowing them professional accomplishment in a worthy environment.
One of their bags was showcased at the Maison & Objet show in 2012 - The Megalo bag. This bag hosts harmonious colour prints with leather handles, quality clasps and an emblem of the protea flower (a well known local emblem) embroidered on the front. It is practical with a large volume inside, the vibrant fabric and ethnic chic-ness is original and multi-functional and everything is perfectly finished off with an endearing beautiful story behind it.
The brand also offers conference bags for large congresses and seminars, shopping bags in eco-cotton; a line of clothes perfect for summer, including bustiers, ballerina slippers, sandals and scarves with crochet borders; or even fascinating decor accessories like the large cushion covers made from coffee bags with colourful hand-embroidery and crochet borders, used as rugs or cushions.
View Township Patterns website for more information.
Additional wind farms launched
One of continent's largest wind farms has recently been launched in Jeffrey's Bay, in the Eastern Cape. The R3 billion 138 megawatt wind farm, built under the government's
renewable energy programme for independent power producers is comprised of sixty 80m high turbines spread over 3 700 hectares of land, and will supply enough clean, renewable electricity to power more than 100 000 homes a year.
Initially in 2012 over 53 proposals from renewable energy producers for the construction and operation of wind farms in the Eastern Cape province were received and were screened down to 28 preferred bidders. These were whittled down further to the top 5, including Metrowind Van Stadens Wind Farm, Red Cap Kouga Wind Farm, Dorper Wind Farm, Jeffrey's Bay Wind Farm and Cookhouse Wind Farm.
In May 2014, Globeleq and its local and international partners unveiled the 50 MW De Aar and 50 MW Droogfontein solar photovoltaic plants in the Northern Cape. Also part of the government's programme, the two plants represented a combined investment of R3 billion.
According to Globeleq, more than 700 people worked on the Jeffrey's Bay site during the wind farm's construction, and 45 percent of the people were drawn from the local community.
Sources : SA Good News website, our 2012 article for the PE wind farm and Wikipedia for list of farms underway.
Indoor air filtering plants
It is a well known fact that plants provide us with clean oxygen. What isn't widely known is that some plants clean air better than others.
Chemicals, carcinogens and toxins in our households could include formaldehyde, xylene, benzine, nitrogen oxide and trichloroethylene, but these specific indoor plants can be potted up in the house or office to assist in filtering unwanted pollutants from the air and providing cleaner, healthier air to breathe:
- Aloe barbadensis - can it be used for burns on the skin, and is also known to remove formaldahyde from the air.
- Ficus robusta - cleans the air by emitting high oxygen content, and purifies indoor air by removing chemicals, such as formaldahyde or other toxins.
- Nephrolepis exaltata Bostoniensis - acts as a natural air humidifier, removes formaldahyde and is a general air purifier - said to be among the best in air purifying houseplants.
- Phoenix roebelenii - removes formaldehyde and xylene (a chemical found in plastics and solvents) from the air.
- Hedera helix - removes the chemical benzene (a known carcinogen found in cigarette smoke), detergents, pesticides, and the off-gas of other synthetic materials, is said to be fantastic for asthma and allergies and also removes formaldehyde.
- Dracaena marginata - purifies the air of the carcinogen benzene, commonly found in the off-gas of synthetic materials, cigarette smoke and other household chemicals. Also known for removing formaldahyde, xylene (found in varnishes, paints and paint thinners) and trichloroethylene (found in solvents) from the air.
- Sansevieria trifasciata - absorb toxins, such as nitrogen oxides and formaldahyde.
Source: Sustainable Baby Steps
Quiet secluded beach on the island
One of the popular myths regarding Mauritius is that there are sandy white beaches surrounding the island ad infinitum. Unfortunately, as the island is mainly created by
volcanic rock and this dark, almost black, rock does not degrade with erosion into light coloured sand and long beaches, the type of beaches that we are familiar with are minimal.
But, there are some beaches that have been created by the break down of white coral and other rocks on the sea bed and these are very popular with tourists and locals alike - especially on weekends. These are generally the beaches found in tourist booklets and online and are named as such as popular tourist and local destinations.
If it is a quiet and unpopulated beach that is desired, then travel along the north east coast between Calodyne and Grande Gaube, a small dirt road will lead you to a treasure under the trees.
Don your bikini, rub in the sun tan lotion, wade into the shallow waters and swim comfortably out into the ocean past the reefs for a long session of unguided snorkelling, or lie in the sun grabbing those extra layers of naturally tanned skin to be the envy of all the friends not invited on this holiday.
Sunny but protected from the wind, crystal clear blue shallow waters, old fishing boats, a quiet sandy beach with grass at its edge, and loads of trees to lie underneath with a picnic blanket, some cheese, marlin slices, baguette and wine for lunch - french mauritiuan style - what else could a tropical island holiday require!
See where this is on Google maps.
Living Matter Nursery
This month marks the kick-off month for the birth of our very own plant nursery, located on a recently purchased farm just outside Worcester.
The demarcated nursery area will be cleared of alien and unnecessary vegetation and slowly as the months progress, seeds and seedlings will be planted and grown for wholesale.
Aloe Africana
(African Aloe)
Family :
Asphodelaceae
Description :
Indigenous succulent to 2 m with yellow-orange tubular flowers.
Flowering time :
Winter to Spring
Conditions :
- Full sun
- Little water
- Evergreen
- Some frost resistance
- Wind resistant
- Well drained sandy soil
View more detailed information on this plant in our plant directory.
Include a piece of furniture in your landscape that is a statement in itself - an architectural piece of art that will draw attention and positive comments from your visitors.
White Turnip
Seeds can be sown or plants can be planted for the following herbs and veggies this month:
Vegetables
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Herbs |
View our full planting plan in our resources section of our website.
We all love a chance to test our own brain capacity with brain teasers. Try see if you can figure out this one...
June's Teaser Answer :
"High Society"
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Contact Cheral:
Cell: 082 82 509 82
Email: info@livingmatter.co.za
Website: www.livingmatter.co.za