THE GROUP HEXLappies |
Katrina Mokwena (leader) Nicky Nyanga
Linda Botes , Sally Matolla, Sophia Killian, Elizabeth van Wyk, Hendritta van Eick , Nicky Olivier, Sanna Titus. Beverley Ranchod, Rina Willemse, Erica Lüttich (co ordinator) Katherine Low (researcher) |
One year of ProjectThe year so quickly came to an end, sneaked up on us as we still hoped to achieve so much more. The export grape season has started in the Valley during September, which meant that many women had to go and work,as this is the only income they have for a few months. The season ends in April/May depending on the grape variety.
During our collective time together we participated in two projects, on Gender Based violence, a huge issue in our country. We embroidered onto re-purposed cloths from fabric sample books and created 2embroideries that speak directly to what we do not want in our lives, and 2 embroideries to share what we like, want and need. During the wintertime we knitted several panels for #stitches4survival for the COP 26 conference on climate change, Glasgow, United Kingdom. We were so eager to knit panels, and we have used recycle and donated wools, rope, plastic and left over bits and created the Hex River in our valley. When we stitched the panels together, we realised that the postage to send these panels to Glasgow would be too expensive and had to send a short film that we made on our craft protest for the conference. As this is the only work in the Hex Valley for most women and there are no choices, and we accept that currently this is the situation, and we make way and space for our fellow participants. We started an instagram page @hex_lappies, which Nicky Nyanga is managing for us. We have a facebookpage, which we try to keep updated when we have data available:https://www.facebook.com/groups/583736499020913
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A small group that did not go to the work, some only start in January 2022, insisted on still meeting and decided to make blankets from recycled material. The women wanted to learn to quilt and are making these blankets as a possible income opportunity. So we gathered what we have between all of us to re-purpose,recycle and re-use, as this is still a core focus to our crafting process. Nicky Nyanga found several designer fabric sample books on a landfill site close to her home and after many washes and drying in the sun but also tea-dying experiments to create a distress fabric feeling we have now put together 5 blankets as part of an experiment. Unfortunately, we did had to buy cotton for the sewing machine as well as the inside soft fabric to make the blankets warmer. It has been a very positive experience to collectively work on these ideas and patterns, and some really tried to make unique colour combinations as well as really use the fabric they like,choose the colours and textures that feels close to there hearts. Katrina Mokwena decided to make a blanket for her youngest son and chose the cotton fabric that was a donation from a sheeting company. The white cotton were coloured with left over chemical dyes from previous workshops several years ago (2016-2018) and has many colours from yellows to oranges, reds,blues and greens. She created several blocks and rows and also learned to work on a sewing machine. We received a donation of an old Bernina 910 (1986 model) and this created an opportunity for new lessons, new learning and new skills. Nicky Nyanga found several books of beautiful upholstery fabric strewn in and around the veld and a landfill site. These, which needed much washing and drying in our strong sun, took weeks to loose all the marks and smells. With this she created a blanket that explored several layers of textures and muted colours of brown,green and blues. She has sewing machine experience and therefore stitched her blanket together but also helped with both Katrina Mokwena and Linda Botes’s blanket. This was very helpful to have the guidance but also another voice to explore and interrogate choices, colours and creativity. Linda Botes created a blanket from cotton and linens from the resources we had. She selected a series of prints, floral patterns and created a blanket with olive greens, deep browns. With the help from Nicky Nyanga she created 8 blocks from a design she found in one of our small library of resource books. These books and magazines were donated to each from several members from our immediate network of supporters and helps with inspiration and learning new techniques. |
The first question asked was what did I learn from this map?
What do we want to say with the information gathered? How can we inform ourselves and others with this information? I realised that the mountains are so beautiful, and this map made me re-look at them in a new light. When I look from the mountains to where we live, I realise that we have very few homes and mostly have many shacks, or as we say in Afrikaans, ‘hokke’. It made me realise that we do not have enough houses for the people to live in. There are many vineyards, and this is where we find work. The roads in our area are dusty, full of holes, difficult to navigate and have to many stones. My worry is the graveyard situated where we live. There are footpaths, lots of rubbish and the children use it as a playground. This is the place where people come to rest after death, and now everyone walks across, leave their rubbish and play on the tombstones. These people are dead and buried here, yet we are living amongst them. In our area there are no safe play spaces for children. People continuously dump their rubbish everywhere and we constant have water running in the streets. This is called ‘sigwater’ in Afrikaans, or surface water. The dumping of rubbish causes the waterways to be blocked and now the water runs freely in our streets, into our yards. When I look at the map, I remember where I live, my house, my people and family, living around me on paper. Seeing my life on a map was important to me. Sophia Killian |
I always knew how important the N1 was as it transports all the food with trucks between Cape Town and Johannesburg. But I only realised the significance of this when we created this map. The impact that this road has on my life and that my heart lies on this road. It takes me home (towards the South) to my family in Cape Town and when I go North to my family in Touwsriver, or beyond to the Karoo, Laingsburg. I use this road constantly and it reminds me of my journeys. The mountains were one of my motivations to live here, I can meditate, walk there, take my dogs for a walk, and it is the reason I live here.
I learned from Lauren how important mapmaking is as well as the author of the map. The knowledge that I gained how to use mapmaking but also how it can be used as well as the affect this can have on out lives. I am amazed as how my perceptions altered when we created this map and the importance of the N1 and the natural beauty that we are surrounded by. The mapmaking workshop also highlighted to me what we lack in our town, no public rubbish bins, no green spaces, no safe spaces for children to play. And no public dumping sites, everyone just uses any space without any consideration for their neighbours. In De Doorns the main source of employment is working as farm labourers preparing, harvesting and packing of the export table grapes. We, the majority of people in the Hex River Valley, depend on this seasonal work to survive. All of us have worked on these farms in various capacities however I find it peculiar that not one of us included this major source of income, the only employment available to most of us on our map of De Doorns. I have a few thoughts on this. It could be that we wanted to exclude the vineyards in order to show we are more than just the table grapes that De Doorns is known for. Or we are tired of having this as our only source of income and by not including it we are hoping for change, but we have no idea what these possibilities are as we do not have the capacity to influence these decisions. Nicky Nyanga Co-facilitator, HEXlappies |
I live in De Doorns for the last 7 years, but our place has not changed at all. If there will be changes in the services delivered to us it will prevent our children from getting various illnesses. So let us try to clean up the rubbish for our children and for the older generation so that we can be healthy and live in a clean space.
For me the biggest problem after I worked on this map was the pigs, goats that lives in the fenced of places in the mountains. These pigsties are not cleaned by the owners, nor maintained at all. In the summer the stench and the flies are awful. It is a real health hazard to all of us. Even in Winter it is now a problem for us living close to these ‘kraals’ or fenced animal places. I drew Petra College, the old Prison in De Doorns, as it is the place that I feel happy to come to. It is important to me as I learn, experience joy and I feel that I have a value here that is recognised. I meet people, I learn new skills and I am happy when I am here as I learn from the women here at HEXlappies. Simoné Ruiters |
The Engen Garage is important for all the busses and taxis who stop here to collect and drop passengers who are visiting us, family members and friends. The railway line holds a special place for me as it takes me to Kimberley. As a young woman I use to travel on the train to visit Andrew, my husband’s family who lives there. As a young newly married woman I used to take my new-born children to his parents to show them their grandchildren. That is why Kimberley holds a special place in my heart and I had to draw it on our map.
My children can easily get to the High School from our home and that is of great value to our family. There are subways under the N1 which makes it safe for them to get to the school. And I love the mountains, they are incredible and of great beauty to our valley. It gives us water when it rains, snow in winter to re-plenish the underground water supply to the De Doorns. Katrina Mokwena. I am 52 years old. Leader, HEXlappies |