Knitting a More Caring World

Tanja Bause

21 June 2011

Namibian women from across the country have come together knitting jerseys for AIDS babies and orphans.

This is part of a worldwide initiative which took root in Namibia when a relative of Sandra van Zyl visited her and showed her a little knitted jersey. The question as to why Namibians could not do the same to help the babies and children in our country immediately came up.

“I found the pattern for the ‘Mother Theresa jersey’ on an Australian website and was astonished to see that the women had already sent off 5 000 jerseys to Africa,” says Van Zyl.

The Namibian project started humbly, with four of Van Zyl’s colleagues knitting during their lunch hour. They were soon joined by two friends and after they had finished the first 20 jerseys the project stated gathering momentum as more and more women became aware of it and started knitting.

In the meantime, a database containing over 120 names of knitters and well-wishers who contribute cash or left-over wool has been established.

The cash is used to buy wool to supply the 15 female prisoners in the Gobabis prison, some nurses at Rehoboth who knit while on night duty and a number of pensioners who have the skills but cannot afford to buy wool.

The oldest participant is Auntie Rooikop Kotze from Gobabis, who is 83. So far 55 jerseys have been distributed in the flood camps, eight to children near Usakos and 16 to a community creche in Omdel, Henties Bay.

Another 100 jerseys were given to the children form the Beautiful Kidz Centre in Katutura. A further 150 were distributed to various needy children via the Eros congregation of the Dutch Reformed Church. To date Van Zyl has received 569 jerseys.

“I receive calls from complete strangers who acquired the pattern and have started knitting.” she says. In the future she hopes to spread the word and get more men and women from all ethnic backgrounds in the country knitting and involved.

AllAfrica – All the Time