POLOKWANE – Maureen Ramohlale and Thabo Lephane are both artisan learners at SLJI in Polokwane and have earned their practical excellence as artisans, when they produced a jewellery piece used during a national pageant recently.
They designed and made a crowning tiara used to award overall winner of the Miss Bachelorette South Africa beauty pageant.
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According to the Incubators Production Manager, Siphelele Manqele, the incubator is a jewellery designing and manufacturing centre established to contribute towards creating economic opportunities, through developing and supporting emerging jewellery businesses from disadvantaged communities. “My job involves overseeing the production side of things and being in charge of the artisans. However, the most important part is to transfer the skills I uphold and the knowledge I acquired over the years,” he explained.
Manqele says they were approached by Miss Bachelorette South Africa to sponsor them with a crown and they saw this as an exciting challenge to get out of their comfort zone and create a masterpiece of jewellery, which will be seen by many communities.
“The opportunity also afforded our artisans a space to grow, as well as to gain confidence in their work and as artisans. It was a proud moment seeing the artisans at work and guiding them through the process of manufacturing the crown. Doing quality assurance for the crown to determine its quality, was the main priority to ensure we produce the best quality piece of jewellery,” he added. The two said they felt extremely proud when they saw the crown, they designed and manufactured, worn by the winner of the competition. “It shone so bright and sparkled with glitz and we are certain it grabbed and attracted the correct attention,” they said. They both have big dreams to achieve as qualified and experienced artisans and aim to give back to the community. Through workshops, they plan to transfer all the skills and knowledge they have gained to other youths in the community.
