Cape Town >> 23/06/2010

In Charity Action 11, the GIVE IT BAG team was very proud to support a new Kindergarten, VULAMASANGO, established in Phillipi, near Cape Town.
Once the land had been bought, and thanks to amazing donations from Germany, we helped with the renovations and refurbishing of the place.
With Winter reaching our shores, we decided to make sure that the cold would not hit the gates of VULAMASANGO.
The GIVE IT BAG team bought and equipped the kindergarten with eight wall heaters and many colorful soft blankets. The kids also received warm clothes and shoes from various donators. The sparkle of the day was their eyes wide opened and big smiles when they discovered the toys and books
displayed on the tables. Also a donation from friends, connections, do-gooders always ready to help and support. Once again, a huge thank you to all our generous donators!
There is always a good reason to help; GIVE IT BAG will be there!

Cape Town >> 15/01/2010

Since june 2009 GIVE IT BAG has been closely involved in a Kindergarten / afterschool care project in Phillipi, Cape Town.
German social worker Florian Krämer and a group of idealistic people in Germany bought a piece of Farmland to realise their dreams and passions, in setting up an orphanage for approx. 100 children from the area.
The first step has been completed to purchase this beautiful piece of land in Cape Town. The founders of GIVE IT BAG are members of the board of directors, directly overviewing the progress of the project.
The second step is now also completed, after GIVE IT BAG together with the Falkenhahn Bau AG donated ZAR 55,000 to support the purchase of hardware, such as, mattresses, kitchen equipment, kitchen cabinets, etc. to eventually start the kindergarten at the beginning of february 2010. The gratefully received donation comes from a philantropic sponsor from germany who collected donations from business partners and friends to support GIVE IT BAG and its actions.
It is amazing to see how excited the little kids are, enjoying their time in the beautiful enviroment of the Cape flats. The afterschool care with almost 40 children and the kindergarten with 40 children are now running daily, thanks to the relentless efforts of Florian krämer and the workers at Vulamasangoo. GIVE IT BAG is proud to sponsor this project.

Cape Town >> 26/06/2009

The BIG ISSUE offices were buzzing with energy on Friday the 26th of June, when the Tutu Foundation’s Tutu Testers spent the day in Woodstock testing most of the Big Issue vendors for TB, HIV and Diabetes. The event was the 10th GIVE IT BAG Action and as such, we wanted it to be an important one!
After a talk about TB, HIV, general health and the importance of the correct nutrition, vendors were individually tested for TB, HIV and Diabetes in the Tutu Testers mobile clinic. Tutu Foundation counsellors were available to counsel anyone who needed it and vendors were also welcome to consult with a health practitioner and a nutritionalist, who were on hand to give advice on any health-related matters. GIVE IT BAG also arranged for THIRST Bar Service who set up a mobile cocktail bar, and kept the non-alcoholic, energising cocktails flowing throughout the day!
Once their individual testing and counselling were completed, the vendors each received a bag containing plenty of goodies, including a blanket, soap, and several food items, courtesy of GIVE IT BAG.
We would like to thank the german company FALKENHAHN for their support and to Robin Kress for his help with cutting and editing our short action movies! Also a big thanks to our supporters, if you’ve recently purchased a GIVE IT BAG, you directly contributed to the success of the day!

Cape Town >> 24/04/2009

Because of a lack of rubbish bins, as well as an apparent lack of consciousness when it comes to waste, the streets of Cape Town are often littered with a lot of rubbish. This problem is particularly noticeable in lower Gardens, where the GIVE IT BAG offices are. For our next Action, we decided to take to the streets and do a massive clean-up, at the same time providing a day’s work for a few people who really need it!
Armed with garbage and recycling bags and the positive energy from everyone who helped us, we managed to clear the area of all rubbish!
We filled a whopping total of more than 60 bags, and GIVE IT BAG paid for a professional disposal service to recycle what could be recycled and dispose of the rest. The people (homeless + unemployed) who gave their time and energy to the project received warm socks and beanies, just at the start of Winter, as well as lunch and their salary. Our thanks go to STRAATWERK, who support similar projects in Cape Town and who do amazing work! We also thank VOX who joined and filmed the action as part of a GIVE IT BAG insert they’ll soon be broadcasting! If you want to find out about our next action and support it by buying a nice GIVE IT BAG, please don’t hesitate to contact us - we’re always on the look out for more do-gooders and supporters! Spread the Word, Share the Load, GIVE IT BAG!

Cape Town >> 23/02/2009

Part of the GIVE IT BAG social responsibility effort is to support the direct environment in which the GIVE IT BAG are produced - the people who do such an amazing job cutting, trimming and manufacturing the bags in Cape Town. Meeting our stringent quality requirements is not easy, and because every bag is individually made and hand-cut, our bag-makers put an enormous amount of effort and attention-to-detail into their work. You will not find any mass production with GIVE IT BAG! So, to show our appreciation, we used profits from GIVE IT BAG sales to shop for groceries, vouchers and lots of fresh, healthy food. We then filled GIVE IT BAGs with the goodies, explaining exactly what GIVE IT BAG is all about and gave each of our bag-makers their very own bag. This was also so that everybody involved in the production chain became a GIVE IT BAG ambassador. It was amazing to see how happy they were, to finally be the proud owner of their own bag! We feel, and try to communicate, that this principle should be applied everywhere. That the work environment and the end product become more familiar and that workers in the production business feel respected and valued for what they are doing. Because remember, without the special skills and dedication of the people who work tirelessly to make the products we wear each day, none of our fancy pants, shirt or dresses would be there! Let´s share the load!

Cape Town >> 06/10/2008

The German registered association ‘POSITIVE LEBEN EV’ (Positive Living) manages a remarkably successful & sustainable Township Project called ‘INDAWO YENTSIKELELO / A PLACE OF BLESSING’, in Nyanga, Cape Town.
Association Head, Florian Kraemer, provides a safe and happy environment for the local Township kids to spend their after-school hours. Children are nurtured, stimulated and encouraged through a variety of activities such as; Anthroposophical education, sports, stimulating game-play, therapeutic support, nutritional lunches and singing in the traditional choir.
GIVE IT BAG helped four particularly disadvantaged children from INDAWO YENTSIKELELO by kitting them out with new school uniforms, satchels and clothing for the new school year.
For the first time in their lives, the twins Xolani and Xolisani (8 years old), their sister Zanele and their cousin Zanele B (both 13 years old) got to choose their own clothes, decide what they wanted to eat for lunch and had their first ride on an escalator - things that most of us take for granted on a daily basis!
The kids had a fantastic day going shopping with the GIVE IT BAG team and we will be following-up on the progress of these children.
Thanks to all of you. Through your support, we were able to spend more than ZAR5000 and give these kids an unforgettable day. We would also like to express an especially big thank you to Jenny Raaff, Carmen Odermatt and Jennifer Swienty for donating children’s clothing for all the children at the Centre.

Cape Town >> 02/06/2008

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), age-related cataracts are responsible for 48% of world blindness, which affects approximately 18 million people. In many countries cataracts are the leading cause of blindness, although the situation can be easily remedied with a relatively simple surgical procedure. This is primarily due to a lack of information, money, transport and long waiting lists for the operation. South Africa too has a large number of people suffering from cataracts. GIVE IT BAG has a close relationship to the hospital in Eerste River, Cape Town, and donated 12 lenses that were successfully implanted on needy patients. GIVE IT BAG also provided the hospital with specialised medical equipment, like scissors and injections, to ensure safer, more hygienic operations. In addition, GIB also provided the hospital with specialized literature to assists with the successful care of cataract patients, which would not have been made available to them through state funding. We are very proud of the fact that GIVE IT BAG has helped a couple of people to see more of this beautiful land in which they live.

Hamburg >> 12/04/2008

Hamburg has a really lovely zoo. Unfortunately they charge an enormous entrance fee many people can not afford. Like 23 orphans and other children from a nearby childrens home. So we invited them for a long stroll through the zoo on one of the first lovely spring days. A wonderful day for all of us!

CAPE TOWN >> 06/04/2008

In spite of the recent elections in Zimbabwe, nothing much has changed in Zimbabwean politics or for the Zim refugees gathered at the Cape Town harbour, so we decided to make something happen. Hundreds of people have been braving heat, storms and rain for days on end to get their residency permits - with no provisions and in unbearable circumstances. We filled our car with food and drove to the harbour, thinking we would be able to share the food equally among the masses. Our attempt at crowd control failed dismally. After handing over a few loaves, the situation got out of control. We got swamped by the crowd and the mood turned ugly. Hunger and helplessness don't bring out the best in people. All we could do was to drive off and pass the rest of the food to the hungry hands reaching through the car windows. What have we learnt? Some good deeds require careful consideration and planning. It isn't always safe to help but that's no reason not to do it. At least we know that a lof of refugees went to bed on a full stomach tonight.

KOSI BAY >> 24/01/2008

Staying at a camp in Kosi Bay near the South African - Mozambiquan Border each morning we woke up to the wonderful sound of singing pupils. It came from a nearby, scarcely equipped school. 8 adults - mainly some of the parents - were teaching more than 300 pupils of every age. Being asked what the school needs most, the principal provided us with a list of teaching material in need. After a long drive on gravel roads we finally found a shop where we got the needed exercise books, pencils, eraser etc. And some soccer balls as well...

Cape Town >> 09/12/2007

e found a 60 year-old homeless man in a wheelchair who had a leg amputated two weeks ago because he is diabetic and did not receive treatment. His name is Douglas, he lives on the street and does not drink. We gave him a GIVE-IT-BAG filled with Chinese herbs, toiletries, healthy groceries and a new shirt. The bag now hangs behind the very happy Douglas's wheelchair and it's not the last time that we will be filling it!!

Cape Town >> 12/08/2007

With the World Cup on the horison, soccer is huge here. Especially in the townships. But not necessarily on soccer fields. Here they play on strips of grass next to the highway. With broken shoes and any old ball. But they are passionate. New, good shoes and soccer balls are a fastastic surprise for these soccer fans.