Context (Production / use)
The bag was made by Emily Tikitise of the Masithandane project. Emily is from Grahamstown and started working with the project in 1995. She stated that the bag took about three days to make.

Masithandane was winner of the 1997 Women in Tourism Award in the Eastern Cape. An information leaflet about the project reads, 'A group of indigent women, a heap of used plastic litter, a crochet hook or two, a pair of scissors and plenty of determination. That, in a nutshell, is how Grahamstown's Masithandane Association began. Born of a need to empower township women with skills which would enable them to generate their own income instead of depending on hand-outs, the Association was formed after a group of six women were encouraged to turn used plastic bags into attractive hats, bags and mats. Grahamstown - like many other South African towns - is plagued by the plastic litter problem. In an effort to clean up the township environment, needy folk obtaining meals from community kitchens in the area were encouraged to 'pay' for their meals by picking up a plastic bag and handing it in at the kitchen. With more than enough raw material to work with, the women set to work with a will to master a new skill. With great ingenuity and imagination, they were soon creating a variety of headgear, which found a ready market in the community. More women joined the group, and began experimenting with traditional beadwork. This too proved to be saleable. Outlets for their goods were found locally and overseas, and several large commissions for specific items were fulfilled - creating much-needed income for the women involved as all funds generated by the sale of the goods revert directly to the individual crafters. Along with their newly-acquired skills with hooks, plastic, beads and needles, the women rekindled a pride in their traditional Xhosa culture, and expanded the Association's activities to include making and wearing traditional garments. Word of their achievements spread. Visitors to Grahamstown - overseas tourists in particular - who purchased the Masithandane goods from local gift shops were keen to meet the women and see how the goods were made. Visitors to the converted shipping container in the township in which the women gathered to work were arranged. For many tourists, being greeted in song by women in traditional dress in an authentic township setting was their first taste of the 'real' South Africa. Thus a new tourist attraction for the city was created. Encouraged by their success, and keen to increase their involvement in tourism, the Masithandane Association decided to spread its wings a little further and provide traditional meals for visitors. Undaunted by the fact that they had no suitable premises, they prepared al fresco meals, cooking over open fires. These 'Xhosa picnics' have become a popular adjunct to their crafting activities and several tour groups now visit regularly. No longer a strictly female preserve, the Association now has several male members - including an Imbongi (Xhosa praise singer), a herbalist, a pipe-maker and an artist. Members of the Association have worked hard to acquire a building to use as a tourist centre-cum-community training centre, where visitors can see the members at work, enjoy a traditional meal and purchase handicrafts. Visitors wishing to visit a Shebeen or overnight in the township can be accommodated in members' homes by arrangement. Your support of the Masithandane Association will help its members realise their dream - to create a sustainable community project and encourage other community groups to do likewise'. (See a copy of this leaflet in MAA's archives).
South Africa suffers from a significant litter problem, especially the casual discarding of plastic bags. The latter have been ironically referred to as the 'national flower', forming a common sight fluttering from barbed wire and other fixtures, as well as strewn along rail tracks and in gutters. They are frequently seen blowing through the air and along roads.
Event Date 2000
Author: Lucie Carreau

Context (Field collection)
This bag was purchased on 11 April 2000 at the Masithandane project, Joza township, Grahamstown, South Africa.

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 11/04/2000
Author: maa

Description (Physical description)
Bag made from strips of recycled plastic bags which are crocheted together. It is almost square-shaped, tapering slightly inwards at the upper corners. It has a long loop handle that is made separately and attached to the upper insides of the bag with strips of knotted plastic. The bag is yellow, white, red, blue and green in colour. The pattern is divided into alternating sections of predominantly blue and yellow bands, with two single white rows within a central band of blue. The handle is decorated in blue and yellow/red rows of plastic. The bag is tightly crocheted together, producing a rather stiff texture.
Event Date 5/5/2012
Author: maa