Kunye

The makers of handmade recycled plastic hens

Kunye is the Xhosa word for 'forward together' which was Alison Coutras's vision. Who would have thought it would lead to recycled plastic hens!

After returning from studying in the US, Alison felt that she would like to do something to help the appalling unemployment around Cape Town, particularly amongst those with few skills. Alison wanted to move people 'forward together', by building up local craft skills.

She began by making wind up musical dolls based on traditional African dress, using beads and traditional face painting. More recently Kunye has developed a range of new craft products with Erna Moller, a social worker with the Leprosy Mission. These products are made from recycled materials and have won many awards. Our favourite of course is the recycled plastic chicken.