Meet our Crafters

Denise Jacobs

Denise Jacobs

As a child growing up in Cape Town I always dreamed of living near the mountains. Twenty years ago I married my husband who brought me to stay in his community here in Kylemore, next to these beautiful mountains… so my dream has come true. We are a very happy community, everyone knows one another, and the mountains provide peace and tranquility in my heart.

I have always loved needlework. As a young girl of 15 I went to work in a textile factory, making handkerchiefs and lingerie for many years. Since working with the other crafters here at Imbali Craft Centre I have learnt so much more: not only craft skills, but it has helped me gain self confidence through interaction with people and responsibility for teaching others. I used to be very shy, hardly looking at people when I spoke and always looking down. Now I can sit down and talk even to important people with confidence. This makes me very happy, even though I still prefer to work behind the scenes.