Inspired by the idea to double the love this Christmas, the gift you choose for the special someone in your life has the power to change and save lives. All these one-of-a-kind gifts from Goodbye Malaria are hand-made by Cape Town crafters, celebrate Africa and support local companies who employ and empower them.

You’re bound to find a gift you love with an inspiring story attached to it – and your purchase makes a contribution that has impact on so many lives. The proceeds from all sales help the realisation of Goodbye Malaria dream, to ultimately eliminate malaria in Africa.

Pencil Cases and Cosmetic Bags (R85 – R200)
Made by Miss Mrs

Founded three years ago in 2013, Miss Mrs is a mom and daughter design team based in Cape Town and proudly 100% local in everything they do – from design, to manufacturer and distribution. They passionately hand produce Goodbye Malaria’s lovely cosmetic bags and pencil cases, which celebrate Africa’s unique identity and creative expression.

Whether you’re a student, artist, working professional or just need an all-round funky pencil case to express your individuality, these vibrantly coloured pencil cases hand sewn by Miss Mrs will ensure you stand out from the crowd. They also promote the fine craftsmanship of local artisans and foster sustainable careers in traditional arts.

Goodbye Malaria’s vibrant small cosmetic bags made by Miss Mrs are perfectly sized to fit in a handbag, holding all your essential touch-up basics from lipstick and mascara, to compacts, nail polish and files. Available in a range of vibrant and funky colours, made from 100% cotton (shweshwe print) with a stylish suede trim.

Bucket Hat and Sports Cap (175 – R195)
Made by National Cap Factory

Small purchases can add up big time, in this case in the form of Goodbye Malaria’s hand sewn bucket hats and sports caps. Made by the National Cap Factory in Cape Town, the company is a third generation family business with over 85 employees. Managing Director David Werb, who’s preceded by his father and grandfather, who started the company some 68 years ago in 1948, attributes their great success to his staff and the way the company is run. “We have an open-door policy – we are involved in their lives and they are involved in ours,” David said.
Not a single thing at the National Cap Factory is imported – everything is 100% locally made. Goodbye Malaria provides the fabric and the National Cap Factory supplies the material and local labour to hand sew the caps and hats. All of the National Cap Factory’s headwear is bespoke and made to order, like Goodbye Malaria bucket hats and sports caps.

Not just anyone can sew a hat as it’s quite different to – for example – sewing a shirt because of the different panels and curved seams. “My specialist team, some of which have been with us for 52 years, work off patents we’ve created in-house, like the rally cap designed by my grandfather (known today as the bucket hat). The five panel sports cap design we use for Goodbye Malaria is also under patent. “I expect we are the last of the bigger cloth headwear companies left on this continent, unfortunately,” concludes David.

Bracelets (R40 each or R360 for pack of 10)
Made by Relate Bracelets

Your purchase of Goodbye Malaria’s colourful, hand beaded bracelet has power to make a tremendous difference in the lives of elderly Gogo’s (grandmothers) and their families in Cape Town townships. The bracelets are hand beaded by elderly township women part of Relate Bracelets not-for-profit social enterprise. This activity provides an opportunity for them to connect with others, and provides them with a sense of dignity and purpose as they take on meaningful employment. Most of these women support entire families, including AIDS-orphaned grandchildren.

Relate’s finishers are young adults who have their whole lives ahead of them and simply need an opportunity. A portion of the bracelet proceeds is invested into enabling them and others to learn new skills and grow in confidence so that, in time, they can move beyond Relate to achieve their personal career goals. The remainder of the proceeds directly fund Goodbye Malaria’s Spray Prevention Program to end malaria in Africa for good.

Mashozi Teddy Bear (R495 – Christmas Special Price)
Made by Heartworks

We can always use a little reminder to celebrate love. The Mashozi Bear, named after Kingsley Holgate’s late wife as a tribute to her inspirational work to fight malaria and uplift communities, celebrates her and our love for all things uniquely African. Mashozi is not your average teddy. She creates sustainable employment for upskilled women from the townships, supporting a women-owned small business in Cape Town called Heartworks.

Made with love, for your love, the Moshozi bear is passionately hand-embroidered with appliqued hearts, flowers and anything the crafter feels defines them as an artist. To those who take the time to look at the beautiful details, each one-of-a-kind teddy tells a story. Proceeds from your purchase fund the Malaria Spray Prevention Program by Goodbye Malaria, which enables a mother and child in Mozambique sleep a little easier, protected from malaria. As one of the oldest diseases in human history, malaria kills more children under five than any other disease on the African continent – a statistic that is unacceptable to Goodbye Malaria’s founders and passionate partners, friends and supporters.

Rumi said back in the 1200s that you should “respond to every call that excites your spirit,” and that’s exactly what Margaret Woermann of Cape Town did when she created Heartworks. Her South African business, which means works of the heart, provides job opportunities to unemployed women from the townships in Cape Town, who then not only create an enchanting collection of beautiful objects made by hand, but literally pay it forward and save other lives in the process.

Sausage Dog NuNu’s (R275)
Made by small-talk®

Handmade by small-talk® in Cape Town, a women owned and operated start-up since 2001, Goodbye Malaria’s adorable Sausage Dog NuNu’s are the perfect gift for children of all ages – even for newborns. They are machine washable and made with no buttons or beads to ensure they offer a safe friend for your little one to play with or cuddle.

Chanel and her team are loved and respected for the beautiful nursery school toys they individually hand sew with the utmost care and attention to detail.

The passion and love that has been poured into these cuddly, handmade sausage dogs can only be truly experienced by seeing or touching them in real life – notably their hand embroidered faces with cute button nose and oversized ears with vibrant shweshwe print fabric inserts give each soft toy its own character and uniqueness.

While your baby sleeps soundly snuggled up to their Goodbye Malaria NuNu, a mother and child in Mozambique can sleep soundly too, protected from contracting malaria as your purchase directly funds Goodbye Malaria’s Spray Program to prevent malaria in Mozambique.

Dolls (R380)
Made by Cocoa Cherry

Inspired by a love for all things Mzansi, Cocoa Cherry was launched four years ago in 2012 – in their local community, Knysna. Liyema and Patience, the two ladies who helped head designer Liz Brown with hand sewing Goodbye Malaria’s unique dolls, are proud to be associated with Goodbye Malaria’s social benefit organisation and feel proud to be contributing to the eradication of malaria in Africa.

To represent our beautiful rainbow nation, Goodbye Malaria’s vintage dolls are available in both African and Caucasian with adorable pigtails, colour coordinating ribbons and shweshwe print outfits.
Head designer of Cocoa Cherry, Liz Brown, says her creations aren’t just toys – they’re the source of infinite imagination. “They become playmates and the possibilities for having fun, laughter and “just being a child” are endless.

Liz says being chosen by Goodbye Malaria has given her the push to expand her business and take it to the next level. “I am so proud of Liyema and Patience, who are very grateful for the work and to learn new sewing skills. It has given them motivation to sew for a good cause. It makes me proud to be part of the upliftment of women in my community and to help them put food on the table for their families,” said Liz.

Why we ♥ Buying Local
Goodbye Malaria is constantly discovering socially responsible, local companies that hand-make beautiful products. The local companies we choose to partner with operate fairly, treat their staff with the respect they deserve and pay a fair wage that enables their crafters to support their families with meaningful employment.

Buy any of these enchanting goods online at www.goodbyemalaria.com/shop and get them delivered to your door anywhere around the world.

This artivle was first published by Keen On Cape Town on 06 December 2016.