![\"2013-05-19](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/06\/2013-05-19-23.49.35.jpg\")
<\/a>Jill Heyes<\/p><\/div>\n
If you\u2019ve read my \u2018African Diary\u2019 series you\u2019ll know that I wrote briefly about the \u2018townships\u2019 or shanties that line the freeway for miles outside of Cape Town and throughout South Africa.\u00a0 These shanties were created principally in the Apartheid Era, which ran from the end of the 1800s until the early 1990s (yes, 1990s!), when blacks were evicted from their property and relocated to the shanties .<\/p>\n
An accurate count of how many people are living in shanties today in South Africa is difficult, but it\u2019s somewhere in the 8-10 million range.\u00a0 They live in shacks made of tin, wood and brick, have little water, which is of poor quality, sewage is an on-going problem, electricity, if they have it, is achieved illegally through exposed power wires, presenting a constant danger to inhabitants, especially children. \u00a0Schools are ill-equipped and inadequate and many children end up dropping out and joining \u00a0gangs, which are prevalent among the teens living there.\u00a0 Believe me, it makes one feel pretty grateful for what we have and very sympathetic to the plight of the shanty inhabitants.<\/p>\n
One person who saw all this and decided to do something about it was Jill Heyes, who came to South Africa from England and lives in Hout Bay near Original T Bag Designs<\/i><\/b> was born.\u00a0 Jill started a business making crafts out of discarded tea bags and in the process hired people out of the shanties to create and make these crafts. \u00a0That was over 10 years ago, today her business is thriving. \u00a0Several who have come to work for her have now earned enough money to buy a home and move out of the shanties.\u00a0 You can see a short video on Jill\u2019s inspirational story on You Tube at the following link:<\/p>\n http:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=M5VH6UAgMIk<\/a><\/p>\n You can also visit their website at: \u00a0http:\/\/www.tbagdesigns.co.za<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0 and buy something!\u00a0 Then you\u2019ll know that you helped create one of those great smiles that you see in the pictures on their website.<\/p>\n by Bob Sparrow If you\u2019ve read my \u2018African Diary\u2019 series you\u2019ll know that I wrote briefly about the \u2018townships\u2019 or shanties that line the freeway for miles outside of Cape Town and throughout South Africa.\u00a0 These shanties were created principally … read more<\/a>Cape Town.\u00a0 Jill taught crafts at a local church and regularly passed by the shanties on her way to and from home and was horrified at the poverty she saw.\u00a0 One day while having tea with a friend, they were discussing the living conditions in the shanties and trying to figure out what one person could possibly do to help.\u00a0 Her friend looked at the tea bag in her cup and got an idea.<\/p>\n<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/a>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"