What We Do

Little Travellers are small beaded dolls made by men and women affected and infected by HIV/AIDS in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The initiative is an income generation project of the Hillcrest AIDS Trust Centre. The dolls sell for $5 each, and the proceeds are evenly divided between the crafters and the projects of the Hillcrest AIDS Trust itself.

Little Travellers Australia was launched in 2009. The initiative has already had great success internationally, especially in Canada, and we are grateful to Ilan Schwartz (Canada), and Paula Thompson (Hillcrest) in particular for their support of the Australian arm of this global initiative.

The Little Travellers Initiative helps those in need regain hope and dignity by getting them to use their creativity to earn an income. At present the project involves 200 crafters, and indirectly affects many more people. As the HIV/AIDS epidemic spreads, more families are turning to the Hillcrest AIDS Trust for help, and are offered training in various crafts.

The project has proven that with the right care and access to medication lives can be turned around. Economic empowerment is one of the most important factors in fighting this epidemic because it gives the crafters the luxury of looking into the future. In doing so, they take ownership of their illness and have something to live for. The health benefits of this alone cannot be underestimated.