In our blog post from March 10^th, we introduced you to Streetwires, one of our partners in South Africa.  To recap, the Capetown based organization, which started in 2000, began to develop their community-focused approach to creating jobs for Zulu artisans working with wire.  Since it’s inception, Streetwires has provided job opportunities to over 120 wire craft artists, encouraging the growth and creativity of their employees. Recently, Streetwires was commissioned to construct a life-size replica of Volkswagen’s popular Beetle car model for their upcoming 60^th anniversary.  With only 8 days to execute the project, it was truly a race to the finish line for the Streetwires team! After strategizing, they began construction by welding the frame of the model vehicle to support the weight of beads that would comprise the exterior and interior of the car.  Simultaneously, a team of talented people set to work shaping the fenders, seats, dashboard, license plate, and headlights.  A third team of artisans was tasked to spindle the beads while other members of the Streetwires team constructed the wheels.  The artisans worked tirelessly through the night to ensure that the Beetle was completed on time for it’s scheduled delivery to Johannesburg. [caption id="attachment_859" align="alignleft" width="221" caption="Artisans hard at work on the car's structure"][/caption] To complete the Beetle, it took an astounding 14 artists, 2,828,000 beads, 110 lbs of wire, and 26 lbs of recycled tire tubing. The Streetwires team’s meticulous attention to detail is seen in the photographs of the completed model.  It truly is amazing to note the determination of the team, as they were able to produce such outstanding quality work in such a short span of time! If you liked this blog post, make sure to check out our prior post from March 10^th to learn more about the fabulous artisans working for Streetwires! [caption id="attachment_862" align="alignleft" width="226" caption="Congrats Streetwires!"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_861" align="alignleft" width="163" caption="The Beetle!"][/caption]