A white South African, Tuffy grew up in a rural district of the Eastern Cape on a farm 22 miles from the nearest town. She speaks isiXhosa and is an expert beader. In 2002, she joined mothers2mothers, helped inspire Mothers’ Creations, an income generation project in Khayelitsha, and trains HIV-positive mothers in traditional beading techniques.

During the apartheid years, traditional beading skills were all but lost through urban migration. It was Tuffy's notion to use the lessons of her childhood to help women in the townships support themselves by learning how to bead. This simple concept was the genesis of Mothers' Creations, and Tuffy has overseen its growth from an informal crafts project to the full fledged income-generation program that it has become.

Currently she supervises an average of 100 women beaders. Their products have become popular both locally and internationally, with orders coming from people as diverse as American designer Kenneth Cole and performer Bono.