This story begins in 1996 when Jill Heyes moved to South Africa from England. Seeing the poverty in the local “informal settlement,” Imazamo Yethu, Jill wanted to help. She began teaching some local women crafts. They unsuccessfully attempted to sell paper mache and potato printing products, but they didn’t give up. Fortunately so, for in 2000, Original T-Bag Designs was created.

The artists from Original T-Bag Designs live in an informal settlement located in Mandela Park, outside of Cape Town in South Africa. Their homes are bits of tin and wood nailed together and they have had no formal schooling.

But what they do have is grit and imagination and a desire to make their families’ lives better. The artists use recycled tea bags as their canvases - and they are painting themselves out of poverty.  

Used tea bags are collected and dried in the African sun. Then they are emptied of leaves and carefully ironed. Finally, each tea bag is painstakingly painted. They work mostly at home during these early phases so they can care for their families while they work. Sometimes the little ones help by emptying out tea leaves.

 The original group of ladies have become skilled and talented artists. T-Bags now employs 15 permanent staff and a number of part-time employees. Ten people with disabilities from within the community are employed to assist with sanding products. Their workshop is a tourist destination and they sell their products at the workshop, at Cape Town’s Waterfront Market, and in Europe and the United States.
                                                                                                                                                        Many lives have been improved by this artful project. One artist was able to buy a house because of the money she earned through T-Bags, another escaped the confines of an abusive husband and is self-supporting. The stories are plentiful and are a testament to how we can change the world even if it is one tea bag at a time. Your purchase will bring a hand-crafted piece of art into your home while helping create homes for others.