Page 9 - KZN Top Business Women 2019 eBook

Compassion is the greatest kindness

we can have for this world.

transcends the usual ‘just another CSI box to tick’, times while acquiring new languages each time,
Chief Operations Officer, or donation to an anonymous charity. as her inspiration. Her children who, despite their
at Uzwelo Bags
Offering products which South Africans are invited not insignificant health challenges continue to
ANYA BAILEY is the vision behind, “Working to invest in challenges them to be intentional in their meet each day with a good attitude. Tanya is their
with materials made from recycled banner spending, raising questions not only around ‘what’ champion, saying: “They inspire me to go out and
Tfabric and recycled South African bottles they’re investing in, but also ‘why’, ‘how’ and ‘who’. be the best I can be; also showing them that we are
– 100% South African, and traceable to source – to Reusable shopping bags facilitate a constructive compassionate is the biggest kindness we can have
make colourful, beautiful Uzwelo bags.” public response to SA’s plastic crisis. for this world. They teach compassion all the time…
and inspire me to continue to do the work that I do.”
Tanya has a vested interest in SA, which goes beyond After years in the working world, Tanya’s passion for The name ‘Uzwelo’ means, in essence, compassion.
building a successful career for herself. The way she sustainability has motivated her purposeful approach
conceptualises ‘successful’ is driven by commitment to her youngest venture, Uzwelo. She describes a Although happy with where Uzwelo is now, Tanya
to inclusivity, evidenced by her business network chequered working past, backed by a BCom degree, states that she is committed to accomplishing more.
which mobilises and develops local talent and skills which she acknowledges has stood her in good “If you feel that you’ve stopped learning what’s the
to benefit the broader South African community, stead, a means to an end for her youthful travels and point? You’re never going to stop learning! You may
including its wildlife. later business enterprises. think you know everything, but you never do.” She
explains how every day in her workplace is for her
Tanya sums up Uzwelo’s ethos saying, “the stories Social and environmental conscience a learning opportunity, with staff who show her a
behind our bags and the people who make them are Describing herself as a Jack of all trades, Tanya new way, a better way to do something, or learning
what drive us every single day to do a better job, to remembers never having a sense of truly completing through simply becoming aware of how something
create new ideas, new bags, new projects, involving anything properly while work hopping between may be perceived from a culturally-different
new people.” cities. After completing an interior design course in perspective from her own. She’d like Uzwelo to
New life to waste London, she imported and sold decorative goods continue to embrace all people from all walks of life.
in SA, but increasingly sustainability as a global
Uzwelo gives new life to waste by recycling, reusing issue has provided the context for her Uzwelo Do women need to approach work differently from
and redesigning excess fabrics destined for landfill. Bags, harnessing Tanya’s business and creative men in order to achieve the same success? Tanya’s
Apart from developing local skills and creating skills while simultaneously surfacing her social and answer is an emphatic ‘yes’. Although she ventures
jobs, Uzwelo donates funds to ‘The Bateleurs environmental conscience. that it may be changing now, she cites the gendered
Organisation’, pilots who donate their time and inequality in pay and need for women to take a break
wings to worthy conservation causes. Donations Creating a work-life balance is something Tanya feels when having their children, seldom re-entering
have assisted returning stranded penguins to the she hasn’t achieved yet, although she’s striving towards the economic sphere at the same level, as making
sea and flying back a seal who, having had one too this. She observes, “When any business is new, you it harder for women than men. “I do think that it’s
many encounters with sharks, chose land over sea know you have to give it your all, so you really focus, harder – women push harder, fight harder, persevere,
as its preferred habitat! hours can become days which become months, possibly harder, than most men had to in the same
which can become years.” She’s grounded in her positions. But I do feel positive about the future, that
Uzwelo products include reusable shopping bags, belief, though, that family always comes first. Having
and school bags with built-in ponchos, which are two high-needs premature babies was a compelling we’re moving in the right direction ...”
donated in partnership with corporate SA at various reminder of this and much as she is committed to her Tanya’s advice for her younger self, who felt pressured
events to rural children walking long distances business, this is never at the expense of meeting her because her peers seemed to know exactly what
to and from school. As well as removing barriers (now teenage) children’s needs. they wanted to be/do while she had no idea, would
to education, a school bag is a prized personal be: “I’d be kinder, and more gentle on myself,” rather
possession. Corporates invited to physically Compassion than judgemental because she hadn’t yet found
participate in the gifting often experience the Tanya identifies her mother, having moved with her path and say, “Don’t worry about it so much, it’ll
handover as life changing; their involvement pioneering spirit from continent to continent several come together, just keep going.”

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