Spotlight on the Umcebo Trust
by Robin Opperman
 Umcebo Trust is a non-profit organisation which believes that marginalised people have, within them, the creativity necessary to make a difference. Specifically, the Trust supports work that helps mothers and caregivers as well as the marginalised (with and without special needs) to:
- enhance their self-esteem and value to their families, communities and society;
- acquire/develop creative, innovation and participatory skills; and
- create top quality art works and practical craft items (emphasis on recycling) to be sold locally, nationally and internationally to generate incomes
Work over eleven years at the Department of Art and Technology at Ningizimu School for the Severely Mentally Handicapped in Durban serves as the model and launch pad for the Umcebo Trust. This work includes the creation of 3-dimensional objects, banners, and mat and basket work and their sales via a programme that generates marketing opportunities, sales and commissions.
The value and effectiveness of this work was recognised in October 2003 by the Presidential Award from the Hamlet Foundation, as well as a National Teaching Award for Excellence in Special Education in 2001.
The interim workshops have run from February 2004 on Saturday mornings at the Durban Institute for Technology (City Campus), after which they will be transferred to a full weekly operation at a permanent venue.
The emphasis of the project is on skills training, ultimately leading to full learnerships, which aims to give people (learners as well as teachers) access to quality training, recognised by the National Qualifications Framework.
 Contextual overview
The daily struggle against HIV/AIDS, unemployment, prejudice and poverty in South Africa today, is the broader context and motivation for the Umcebo Trust's establishment. The Trust aims to stimulate and promote participant skills (via accredited skills training programmes and ultimately full learnerships).
The goal of the Trust is to create a non-threatening and secure environment where a diverse range of people from surrounding communities can gather and interact together on joint and individual projects that illustrate the value and power of diversity and co-operation. Amongst the many skills that will be trained and used are sewing, wire work and bead work. There is an emphasis on producing practical and usable crafts, and also on creating art works of a unique and exceptional quality, to grace some of the top national and international corporate and private collections and d?cor ranges.
In the light of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, we anticipate that the Trust will have to grow rapidly in the direction of formulating projects specifically aimed at involving the increasing numbers of AIDS orphans and their caregivers as a special needs group.
Projects
Ningizimu projects that are being used as a model and launch pad include:
3-Dimensional Sculptures
These involve challenging pieces of work using pupils' sewing, painting, sculptural and creative talents, as well as emphasising recycling, and a combination of bought and found objects. A recent client was the US Consulate in Durban, who bought a sculpture of the Statue of Liberty, and flew it to the Head of Special Schools in Manhattan as a gift. This created all sorts of new and exciting links, as well as focusing international attention on the work and potentials of those who produced the piece.
 Banners
Through the school, Robin Opperman and the pupils have completed 12 banners for the French Institute. Ten banners 1m x 2m, and two 2m x 2m. These are currently traveling through Africa after an exhibition at the Durban Art Gallery and their journey will eventually end in Paris, where they will be on display for an international audience. The Art Department has a long history of producing these 3-D banners, which grace private and corporate collections both locally and abroad. Clients include: Comair, Department of Health, The Playhouse Company, Huntsman etc. but would also serve to generate an income from a wide variety of skilled participants
Mat and basket making
This project involves a steady flow of thick and thin plastic supplied by a local company. These materials can then be used to either crochet, weave or fold into mats, hats, bags, wash baskets and other useful items, which there is a proven demand for both here and abroad. Already a star pupil has been working on orders for Paris and New York, and is training unemployed members of the community, and is now assisting in the running of a number of Co-Ops in the hostels in the townships surrounding Durban. She has also been awarded an NBS Young Entrepreneurs Award as a mark of her success. This project is ideal in that with very little investment, existing skills in the community can be fine tuned, and used to generate an income, for a wide variety of people who otherwise see themselves as unable to earn a living and to be productive members of the community.
Fire Blocks
We encourage the local community to connect with the school and to bring their old newspapers, toilet roll holders, egg boxes etc. These are pulped and made into fire blocks which are non- toxic fuel for fires, and for which there is a large demand. This generates a new source of income for learners. The overheads are low, and the scope for involving people in a common project is vast.
 About the Trust
Umcebo is a Zulu word meaning "treasure". The Umcebo Trust is a public benefit non-profit organization which was registered on 22 May 2003. The main aim of the Trust is to establish a studio workspace for people to use and develop their artistic talents as a means of personal and creative development, as well as to generate income.
We envisage a studio workspace that will ensure contact between marginalised people, no matter what their abilities, age, socio-economic background, who can train and be trained in a mutual exchange of ideas and skills.
Interim Workshop: An early partnership which has been established between the Trust and The Durban Institute of Technology (DIT) has meant that from February 2004 until July 2004 an interim workshop has been established in the Fine Art Department, at the DIT. This functions on Saturday mornings, and was piloted with learners from Ningizimu School for the Severely Mentally Handicapped, St Raphael's School (for those with severe physical and medical challenges), learners from Sinethemba Shelter as well as members of the community.
This way we can also orientate the core group that will establish the initial phase, which will be moved over to the permanent workshop. Skills such as budgeting money for bus fares, and catching buses safely too and from the centre of town are some of a whole host of skills which will need to be mastered from the outset. In addition learners can enjoy the status that comes from working on Saturday mornings in central Durban.
By the end of July 2004 we hope to have secured a permanent venue, and funding to expand it to a five day a week operation, involving an even broader cross section.
Where it comes from
The idea for the Trust came from Robin Opperman, an Art Teacher at Ningizimu. Robin has worked at the school for 11 years, helping students generate income through artwork and crafts. Their work has resulted in numerous national and international awards including the National Teaching Award, the ThinkQuest International Challenge Award and a Presidential Award from the Hamlet Foundation.
What we hope to achieve
There are two aspects to the objectives of Umcebo Trust: Firstly, to assist people to generate income, develop creativity and skills and to integrate with and develop the skills base in the community, by building on the model that has been established through the art programme at Ningizimu School; and secondly, to offer training (accredited skills training and ultimately full learner ships) and starter kits for educators and members of the public, who have no resources to help them be more effective at their own work. The training would assist them with the skills to start and grow an art project. Already we are networking and training students from the University of Natal (Durban), as well as the DIT. In addition we are also hosting educators and trainee educators from Canada, New York and Denmark, as part of their learner ships and study programmes.
The medium term vision of the Trust is to make the benefits of the work done at the school more widely accessible to young people in KZN. Our long term vision is to have these services available to people throughout the country and when possible to facilitate or take part in exchange programmes with other African countries or organizations in the world who share the same vision.
 Trust Members
The Trust is, at present, a group of people committed to realizing this Vision by setting up a space with staff and equipment, as the base for an art workspace that assists students and members of the community to generate income through their art work. The present group sees itself as initiators, with a view to the Trust being expanded in future to benefit as many community participants as possible.
Community ownership - driving the work of the Trust
The issue of community ownership of this workspace and the projects that it generates is important. The process of encouraging the community to not only visit the facility, but to also become involved in bringing scrap and recyclable materials to the project will ensure their ownership of, and support for, the work of the proposed venture. People in the community are encouraged to come in and be trained as well as share their skills to train others. For example retired residents can be encouraged to share their crocheting skills, i.e. a skills-exchange.
Using scrap plastic and other materials obtained from factories and business ventures will provide corporate resources and other avenues that open up via them such as conservancies, recycling forums etc. Individuals and companies are encouraged to sponsor a particular client of the Trust with a monthly amount. This will secure them a set number of products from that client, as well as a progress report on that client, and their progress and development. The sponsor can then either take items for themselves, or else donate them back to the Trust to give as gifts to promote the Trust and to attract new sponsorship.
Quality products - valuing the work of the people
The Trust will rather aim at top quality, creative, innovative and marketable work that will sell both locally and internationally, and which would become highly sought after and collectable. We believe that dis-ability does not mean not in- ability. With encouragement and training, our students should be able to earn money and not be reliant on the State or on parents or relatives to support them.
We will also endeavor to encourage independence and skills in the clients. The focus here is on self-sufficiency and entrepreneurship. The workshop will not be offering ' jobs', but will instead focus on developing people who are entrepreneurial and who can serve as islands around which new and innovative initiatives can be established and grow.
 How you can help?
The Building - our premises
We hope to be able to secure safe premises that are accessible to the public along the major transport routes. Ideally the premises should include a large, secure and wheel chair friendly workshop/craft studio plus an area for a shop. A storage space will be essential to ensure the effective sorting, storage and use of donations. A coffee shop and gallery that can be run by the students is also a possibility as this can offer a whole different range of skills training as well as a reason for customers to spend a while longer in the space.
Equipment
The workshop will need to be well stocked with good, sturdy and low maintenance tables and chairs, which can be easily cleaned. We will need good lighting and ventilation which will comply with safety, health and labour regulations. We will need to ensure that there are basins with water, as well as power points.
The workshop will also need to secure funding for a contingency fund to purchase items such as fabric, sequins, paint and other materials etc to complement donations which they may secure.
Mentorships via monthly contributions
Individual monthly or one-off contributions are welcome. Contributors will receive regular updates on the work of the Trust. You can also sponsor a client of the workshop with a monthly donation of R100.00 or more. Please contact us for details of this form of sponsorship.
For more information on the Umcebo Trust, please visit the HIVAN Photo Gallery by clicking here, or access a story on the Trust here. Alternatively, visit the Trust's website by clicking here
Robin Opperman is the Director of the Umcebo Trust. He can be contacted via the following media:
Postal Address: 913 The Gables, 174 Victoria Embankment, Durban, 4001
Telephone: +27 31 3053408 or +27 31 4690767
Facsimile: +27 31 3056090
Mobile: +27 83 793 3408
Email: [email protected]
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