TOUCH – The Touch Rugby Balls that Touch Communities.

TOUCH is an initiative that touches communities by training unemployed seamstresses to make TOUCH rugby balls using recycled billboards. The balls are stuffed with between 25 and 30 plastic bags (collected from the streets of the community) so they help to deal with two issues at once, a lack of work and litter.

Sponsored by EnviroServ this initiative aims to harness the energy around rugby in 2011, giving communities a tangible reason to get excited about the rugby event.

As the Marketing Director of EnviroServ Delia Lavarinhas puts it, “Our business deals in waste management and there is no greater waste than the wasted talent in all of our communities. By demonstrating how materials like old billboards can be reused and by employing people in communities, both to make the balls and to clean up the streets, we are really showing how we as a company are “in touch” with South Africa’s waste management needs. We look forward to creating many days of work in the lead up to and during the 2011 rugby fever.”

This initiative will provide training and equipment to ensure that women, who have been out of work for some time, are enabled to produce quality TOUCH products. The seamstresses are paid for each ball that they make that meets the TOUCH quality measures. The job creation NGO “LIVE” is the fulfilment partner for this project.

“Women are able to earn up to R200 a day once they have learnt the pattern and have practiced making balls for a few days. We provide industrial sewing machines and training for community women with backgrounds as seamstresses, who are now out of work.” says Russel Porteous founder of the job creation NGO “LIVE”.

This is an initiative that really takes rugby to the community and the from many quarters is growing. Prime Media Outdoor have donated R54 000 worth of old billboard material to the project.

How can you support the project and create job opportunities?

The campaign welcomes corporate gift orders, or the opportunity to activate in corporate foyers or unused shopping centre forecourts.

Balls cost R50, with R30 going directly back into the community and the balance contributing to “LIVE” operating costs. For more information visit our Facebook page: The Touch Initiative. To order balls email hosia@winwin.co.za or call 072 288 9088.