The Zulu communities, like many other African communities, are being ravaged by HIV/AIDS and being some of the poorest in the world, these products are helping them to gain business skills and health education plus a chance to support themselves. Then comes the added benefit of using a product discarded by the so-called developed world, applying their skills and then selling it back to the same people who discarded it in the first place.

To sell the full range and products made from telephone wire and order online, visit Original Women.

As a company it is proud of the treatment of employees with benefits such as language courses, dance classes, acupuncture and an on-site physician. Obviously no child labour either! They also contribute to community projects helping youths with learning.

Then there are the products. The raw materials, namely the polyester resin, is a by-product of petroleum and usually discarded. The added benefit is that often this jewellery replaces items made fro ivory, turtle, wood and precious stones, thus preserving these materials.

There doesn’t appear to be a website for R. Sobral so just search Google for Sobral stockists.