During the holidays, many of us feel put on the spot when asked what we are thankful for. Sure, there’s the reflexive but genuine answer of “family, friends and good health.” But how often do we really pause and think about how lucky we are?

If you are reading this blog, the odds are high that you are extremely lucky. Removable wall stickers and wall decals are definitely a luxury item. We don’t need them to survive. Like most art, WallCandy designs have only one purpose — to make us happy. Yet, with Thanksgiving, Christmas and Chanukah upon us, I believe that wall decals remind us of an obvious reality that we often take for granted.

Having an interest in wall decorations means that we are fortunate enough to have walls.

That’s why WallCandy Arts is proud to support Art Aids Art, an amazing entrepreneurial training project that helps unemployed single South African mothers tap into their creative talents and run their own businesses. The California-based organization’s Women’s Skills Training Project helps mothers turn fabric painting, silkscreening and jewelry-beading into sustainable careers.

With the help of seed money from a retired Texas school teacher, Arts Aid Arts built an Art & Education center for the impoverished community of Khayelitsha and helped turn the area into a must-visit destination for tour groups interested in Fair Trade socially-conscious artwork and souvenirs.  Since 2003, the philanthropy project has been selling the women’s splendid handicrafts — including artisan jewelry, bead & wire art, dolls, handbags and clothing — at house parties and gift boutiques across America.

We’re proud that our removable wall decals have helped brighten up the Khayelitsha Art & Education Center and are not only making a decorative impact, but a pragmatic one as well. Our Chalkboard wall stickers are now serving an admirable classroom role, with the heights constantly being repositioned to serve both children and adults. And our festive Dottilicious wall stickers, a bubbly polka-dot palette of ice cream colors, dominate the walls at the art center.

The prime reason: The bright dots symbolize the South Africans’ love for beadwork.

Kids at the community center participate in a "Love Train!"

We recently caught up with Dorothy Yumi Garcia and Tom Harding, co-founders of Art Aids Art, as they gear up for the holiday shopping season — a time that can make a tremendous impact on boosting economic development in South Africa and serving as a business role model to impoverished communities around the world.

WallCandy: One of your objectives is to attract more tourists to parts of Cape Town perceived to be too dangerous to visit. How does the situation look now? Are you attracting tour groups who want something else to do after their wildlife safaris?

Tom: Tourism in South Africa as a whole is strong. The 2010 FIFA World Cup put the country in the spotlight and dispelled myths of extreme crime, dirt roads and wild animal attacks at night. When people ask if we’ve seen lions, we respond, “We can’t afford to!” For most folks, the only access to big game is on safari. At eKhaya eKasi, our center in Khayelitsha, we have made progress in attracting groups who are interested in authentically engaging with local people through art, food and conversation.

WallCandy: What’s new with your training workshops?

Dorothy: We’re currently providing training in fabric painting and silkscreening, along with independent entrepreneurial skills, to unemployed mothers. The women are learning about the value of telling stories from the township through their designs, thereby giving their work distinctive and authentic character unique to Khayelitsha.

Achieving self-sufficiency enables women to feed their families, send their children to school and avoid risky practices such as transactional sex for food and shelter. In the AIDS capital of the world, taking such risks can be lethal. For women who are already infected, economic independence decreases the need for risky sexual behavior that spreads the virus, and strengthens immune resistance through proper nutrition made possible by consistent income.

WallCandy: What would you say is the most rewarding thing about the Art Aids Art program?

Dorothy: We relish opportunities to involve people’s passions and creativity to have a positive impact on the world. Women in South Africa make change by handcrafting beautiful fabric and jewelry that allow them to earn a living, and these objects also brighten the lives of those who buy them. In turn, the objects create connections that inspire Americans to volunteer their energy and resources, and a sustainable circle of change is created. Love makes more love.

WallCandy: How do our chalkboard wall decals fit into your program?

Tom: For the majority of residents in townships, reusing is a means of survival, as poverty is high (51% unemployment). The reusable chalkboard decals have fit perfectly into educational programs at eKhaya eKasi, allowing for instructors to take notes and write class comments and questions for all to see. In addition, in the senior citizen program, they are used to help participants learn how to sign their names. The large size of the chalkboards makes them an ideal teaching tool for such activities where fine motor skills are not yet developed.

Furthermore, the fact that the chalkboards can be moved to different positions on the wall allows for them to be lowered during child-centered activities, which fits perfectly with the inter-generational nature of our programming.

WallCandy: Dorothy, we noticed a brief “Wizard of Oz” reference on the Art Aids Art Website. Are you a Dorothy of Oz fan — and if so, how do you compare her upbeat outlook to what you do at the center?

Dorothy: Like the “Wizard of Oz,” South Africa’s history revolves around the struggle for home. During Apartheid, non-White South Africans were forcibly removed from their homes and relocated in inhospitable places like Khayelitsha, which is essentially an expansive windswept sand dune.

eKhaya eKasi means “Home in the ‘hood.” We started raising funds brick by brick and used the Yellow Brick Road as a metaphor. Our goal was to create a home that would serve as an oasis where residents could access previously unavailable services and create opportunities for themselves.

I think of Dorothy of Oz’s story as emblematic of a seeker’s journey. It is fraught with challenges and turmoil – she is carried away from her home, attacked, thrust into a position of responsibility, and must stand up against injustice. In this respect, it mirrors the experience of most South Africans. Dorothy and her friends use brains, heart and courage to overcome challenges, much like the women with whom we are fortunate to work.

WallCandy: AIDS is part of your organization’s name. What is the situation in Cape Town now?

Tom: The situation with AIDS is complicated. Estimates for townships such as Khayelitsha, one of Africa’s largest with approximately 1 million residents, are that infection rates have risen above 30 percent. Because of the tremendous stigma surrounding the disease, as well as the lack of universal testing and treatment, many people with HIV unwittingly spread the virus.

Consequently, our current programs are not advertised to serve HIV+ clients, as this would very likely discourage participation by association. We simply assume that any of our clients could possibly have the virus (whether they know it or not), and provide awareness and prevention education, as well as condoms, at every opportunity.

Dorothy: Women are especially impacted by the AIDS crisis. With employment more readily available to males, many women are forced to rely on men for economic support, which often means trading sex for shelter and food. The phenomenon of the “sugar daddy girl,” or a young woman who couples with a significantly older employed man, is increasingly common. Abuse, psychological trauma, and AIDS infection are frequently the tragic result.

WallCandy: What is the most effective way for us to help these women right now?

Dorothy: Since 2003, house parties – offering beadwork, fabric, jewelry and wearable art for sale – have been the single most powerful method of volunteer support. Hosting a party is not only fun, it has multiple benefits. First, transactions create immediate income for South African artists and support our education, literacy and health programs. Our goal is to help people to help themselves. House parties often have a ripple effect. By educating party goers, the events expand Art Aids Art’s family of supporters, who are often inspired to host future parties.

Tom: Students can launch an Art Aids Art club at their school or college campus, creating opportunities for educating their peers about South Africa and initiating participatory service projects.

We also accept in-kind donations for our programs. Used laptop computers, for example, can seem outdated here, but serve as valuable teaching tools. Multicultural children’s books and black infant dolls (no Barbies or Bratz, please) are useful for our literacy work with young children. We have posted recommended book lists at the Art Aids Art Website.

Finally, international travelers can participate in an Art Aids Art service learning trip to Cape Town, which includes accommodation at a beautiful seaside location, Blue On Blue Bed & Breakfast. These weeklong visits to South Africa blend cultural tourism and volunteering, the latter of which makes them tax-deductible as a donation to Art Aids Art!

WallCandy Arts encourages you to check out some of the fabulous gifts handmade by women in Khayelitsha this holiday season. We also look forward to supporting future Art Aids Art projects.

On a lighthearted note, we’d like to thank Tom and Dorothy for field testing our wall stickers under the most harsh conditions. We just learned that our Dottlicious decals do not hold up well in a sandstorm and we’ve just sent out some replacements.

For the record, as durable as our wall stickers are, they also can’t handle direct exposure to hurricanes, tornadoes or volcanic eruptions.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!