Context (Production / use)
The bowls are produced by a group of twelve HIV+ women from Khayelitsha Township, Cape Town. The group's name is 'Yomelela' which means 'to get stronger'. Wola Nani provides the group with glaze and paste for making the bowls, supplies of which are quite expensive. 25 litres of paste cost R275.00, while the glaze costs about R42.00 per litre. The women acquire the decorative paper themselves. Due to discrimination against HIV/AIDS sufferers, the makers' names are never declared. However, individual styles are recognised by the Wola Nani staff and the producer of this bowl was regarded as an exceptional artist.

Wola Nani also sells other objects, including safety-pin bracelets, beadwork AIDS brooches, T-shirts, safety-pin bracelets and paper decorated dustbins. Some of their products are exported to Germany, the United States and Britain.

The 13th International AIDS Conference was held in Durban, South Africa, in July 2000. South Africa has an estimated 4.2 million HIV infections, making it the world's largest infected population. Furthermore, it also has the fastest growing infection rate. For more information about HIV/AIDS in South Africa see the official web site of the HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Disease Directorate of the Department of Health: www.health.gov.za/hiv_aids/index.htm. Links are also provided to related local, African and international web sites. For further statistics see: www.redribbon.co.za, www.statssa.gov.za, www.mrc.ac.za; www.nrf.ac.za/sada/index.stm; www.polity.org.za; www.unaids.org; www.aids2000.co.za and www.who.int/emc-hiv/fact_sheets/. (See related newspaper articles and documentation in MAA's archives).
Event Date 2000
Author: Lucie Carreau

Context (Field collection)
This bowl was purchased on 15 May 2000 from the Wola Nani project, Pan-African Market, Long Street, Cape Town.

This object was collected by Julia Tanner while undertaking fieldwork in South Africa from March-May 2000. The fieldwork was financed by MAA's Crowther-Beynon Fund, in order to research and update MAA's South African collections.
Event Date 15/05/2000
Author: maa

Context (Related Documents)
See a complete 'Lucky Star' pilchards label in MAA's archives.
Event Date 2001
Author: Lucie Carreau

Context (Related Documents)
Crafts produced by township residents from recycled materials have been coined 'township trash'. An article about Wola Nani and their papier maché bowls, entitled 'Trendy Township Trash' appeared in a South African edition of the 'Big Issue'. (See a copy of this article in MAA's archives).
Event Date 2001
Author: Lucie Carreau

Context (Related Documents)
The Wola Nani information leaflet reads, 'Wola Nani: A Caring Response to AIDS... The National Persepective: More than 1 in 6 South Africans are HIV positive and this is a conservative estimate. With 1500 new infections every day, this figure may rise to 20% of the general population by 2005. Such a number represents a threat to the nation of inestimable proportions, impacting on the health of the workforce and the future of business, trade and commerce in South Africa. AIDS in South Africa hits the poor with particular vengeance. With high unemployment in township communities, securing work is difficult enough without the stigma and discrimination which inevitably accompanies disclosing an HIV Positive status. For those lucky enough to have work, it is estimated that their income supports 9 others. This financial and emotional burden invariably falls on women to carry. Women bear the brunt of the national AIDS pandemic. Historically disenfranchised, disempowered and marginalised, they have little voice to articulate their needs or to claim the services on which their survival depends. Since the onset of HIV on South African society, most NGO and governmental activity has focussed on programmes of prevention.

Wola Nani was established in January 1994 as a Section 21 company to address the specific needs of those people whom the virus had already reached; in particular, to aid disadvantaged communities. Wola Nani: Its Role and Ethos: Wola Nani, Xhosa for 'we embrace and develop each other', was formed to help people living with HIV/AIDS access the services which they need, and to create opportunities for them to help themselves. Wola Nani facilitates job creation programmes for individuals and families affected by the virus and offers community support services such as counselling and child care. Wola Nani is non-sectarian in nature and not linked to any political party. We are supported by prominent South Africans in a range of different fields; from business to the music industry, religion to academia.

Our Board of Directors includes Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Chris Holland, Noor Kapdi, Ms Des Fransman, Marcus Brewster and Spencer McNally...Family and Community Support Centres: Wola Nani provides family and community support from a centre in the twonship of Khayelitsha outside Cape Town. From this central community base we extend a multi-focussed range of services to people living with HIV, addressing practical psychological, emotional, and welfare needs and demands. Through an integrated client assistance programme, Wola Nani manages the cases of affected individuals and their dependants, offering counselling (individual, family, bereavement, etc) peer support, education on HIV related issues, primary health-care training, home visits and health monitoring. Income Generation Programme and Child Day Care: South Africa has chronic unemployment and wide-spread discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS exacerbates the problem for those trying to live and work with the virus. Wola Nani attempts to relieve this situation by opening avenues for training and income generation for clients, providing a 'psychological' space in which to deal with the virus. Clients are engaged in low-impact craft production activities like paper mache and beadwork enabling them to continue working in times of poor health. Through the production of these highly marketable crafts, women on the project earn a steady and reliable income with which to support themselves and their dependents. Merchandise produced serves as evidence that people living with HIV/AIDS can continue to lead dignified and productive lives. Products are sold at outlets nationwide as well as at Wola Nani's own shop at our central Cape Town office. Accompanying the 'work hive' is supervised child care facilities where clients can leave their children to play and receive a hot, nutritious meal whilst they work or utilise Wola Nani's on-site counselling and support facilities...'. (See the complete leaflet in the Museum's archives).
Event Date 2001
Author: Lucie Carreau

Description (Physical description)
Papier-mache bowl decorated with labels from ‘Lucky Star’ pilchard cans. This pink label with yellow diagonal stripes comes off a ‘Hot Chilli Sauce’ pilchard tin and has a picture of a yellow star above a pilchard fish and the words “Lucky Star”. These labels are cut up into separate images and pasted in a pattern over the bowl, which is later glazed. The pattern on the base of the bowl, both inside and out, is composed of a square shaped arrangement of the words “Lucky Star”. The upper surfaces are decorated with vertical strips of the words “Lucky Star” placed in parallel around the circumference. The lower section of the bowl is decorated with parellel images of the pilchard and star, with the pilchard facing head upwards and the tail slightly slanted to the left.
Event Date 5/5/2012
Author: maa