Started in 2000 with two artists and three founders, Streetwires is a business with a social mission that is tackling the problems of unemployment and poverty in South Africa head on. Focusing on the unique and dynamic genre of wire art, the project is providing the skills training, support and raw materials necessary to enable over 100 formerly unemployed men and women to channel their natural creative energies into this vibrant art form. Using the core tenets of upliftment, sustainability and innovation as their guide, Streetwires is seeking to create a microcosm of what they are striving for in South Africa - individuals, taking responsibility for their destiny, bringing their diverse skills together and working to build their future and the future of the country they love.

WHY WIRE ART?
Street wire art, unique to Southern Africa and largely unavailable beyond their borders, is a living testimony to the industriousness and creative spirit of their people. Born in the shanty towns and dusty backroads and baptised on the streets, today this genre is a thriving and legitimate art form in its own right, with many 'wiremasters' making a living selling their creations not only on street corners and at craft markets, but also in upmarket shops and galleries around the world. Like our people, each hand-crafted piece is special in its own way, and each one has its own story to tell, while the scope for training, development and upliftment is enormous. In addition, most wire art lends itself readily to being branded, thereby increasing the appeal of these products for promotional purposes and corporate gifts, an area that Streetwires has pioneered.

STREETWIRES AS A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECT
Unemployment is the major hurdle facing our country, leading to numerous other social ills in the form of crime, poverty and the hampering of community growth and development. As mentioned before, one of the primary aims of Streetwires is to create sustainable, meaningful long-term employment for as many unemployed and needy South Africans as possible. By providing people with a workplace, permanent employment, a sense of purpose and access to resources like skills training and personal development, they are helping to improve the life of many formerly destitute South Africans. Since their humble beginnings in October 2000, they have grown from an original team of two artists and two marketing coordinators, into a thriving concern permanently employing over 100 people, most of whom have learnt their livelihood through training within Streetwires.