WITH so much more to offer, and filled to the brim with interesting stories, the Highway Mail decided to catch up once again with Woza Moya’s inspirational, determined and delightfully quirky executive manager, Paula Thomson.
If you’re wondering how to ensure your chickens lay eggs at home, read on.
What is a typical day like?
My day starts with a cup of tea made by my darling husband. I am not a morning person, I wake up slowly and push my fat Jack Russel out of bed. I feed the birds and my chickens (Kim and Khloe Kardashian) and give them a stern talking to about how they should each lay one egg a day – they have been on a go slow. I make coffee, I always end up getting dressed in a big hurry to get the kids to school. My kids often say I should take more time so that I can get my clothes to match but, in reality, I don’t think that will help. When I get to work I start by looking at emails, I do a variety of things all at once from fetching fabric and beads from town to dealing with customers, setting up shop displays, working with social media, interacting with crafters, product development, setting up exhibitions and madcap marketing schemes or hands-on in a one of our creative projects. I have been up trees in cranes yarn bombing or folding 1 000 paper cranes for a mad rush order. I do work in a mildly crazy way. When I get home, I go for a run or a walk around the garden with the dogs. I love cooking and we always set the table and eat together as a family, this is very important to me.
What can local people do to help support the crafters and the store if they are not able to make a financial contribution?
They can support our Instagram page (@Woza _Moya) and Facebook page (Woza Moya & Friends).
In-kind donations of any crockery, cutlery, toys for our charity shop (white elephant) or haberdashery items as these shops help us bring in an income. We also ask the community to buy local and buy handmade for birthdays and gifting.
ALSO READ: Paula shares Woza Moya’s story of hope
What out-of-the-box projects have you launched to help continue to generate income streams for your crafters?
We started making dust masks before lockdown and are making protective face masks, which saved the day. We have a wonderful selection of masks in our shop. We are busy working on a Christmas lifesaver project that will be launched soon. We are also running small hands-on workshops with local designer, Karen Monk Klijnstra.
When you are not at the office, what do you do with your spare time?
I love spending time with my family and animals. I love being in the garden and set up a lovely vegetable garden during lockdown. When I am not gardening, I love reading and have a huge stack of books next to my bed.
What are your top three essential items?
Woza Moya earrings, a Woza Moya necklace and a great book.
ALSO READ: Fashionistas launch Hillcrest exhibition
If there is one book that you wish you could forget so you could read it again, what would it be?
Too many books, but Captain Corelli’s Mandolin by Louis de Bernières, The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver and The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne.
What is the first thing you are going to do once lockdown is over?
Definitely a family get together!
Show your support:
Woza Moya stores are open from Monday to Saturday. Woza Moya HACT is open from 8am to 4pm on week days and from 8am to 2pm on Saturdays. Woza Windermere is open from 8.30am to 5pm on Monday to Friday and on a Saturday from 9am to 2pm. Woza Embocraft is open from Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm.
Caxton Local Media Covid-19 reporting
Dear reader,
As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth in order to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19.
Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za).
At the time of going to press, the contents of this feature mirrored South Africa’s lockdown regulations.
