Ubomi Beads

The township of Gugulethu in the periphery of Cape Town, South Africa currently faces the challenge of extreme rates of poverty, perpetuated by an official 50% unemployment rate and skills deficiencies rooted in the legacy of Apartheid. Traditional gender disparity has also further exacerbated impoverished conditions for women in these urban villages, particularly single mothers and their children. Ubomi Beads by Mama Noks aims to empower single women, youth, and the community in the South African township of Gugulethu by promoting the production and international distribution of locally handcrafted jewelry produced from recycled magazine paper. Ubomi Beads was founded as a result of a multicultural relationship formed between Gugulethu single mother Nokuzola “Mama Noks” Matolengwe, American semester-abroad students at the University of Cape Town (UCT), and South African UCT students. Ubomi means “life” in Xhosa, the primary language of most Gugulethu residents. Through the team’s personal experience in Gugulethu, we know the community is full of life culturally, spiritually, and politically. Through a “3 E”- pronged approach, our goal is to work alongside Gugulethu leaders like Mama Noks to provide economic, educational, and environmental solutions in support of the aspirations for the “New South Africa.”