Mandela Day saw guests at Hermanus Night Shelter welcome visitors from Hermanus High School, who dropped off a donation of wool items they had knitted in partnership with children of the Enlighten Education Trust (EET).
The two groups together made a total of 90 scarves, 114 beanies, three blankets and three jerseys, which Hermanus High teacher Marichen Muller handed over to the shelter on 18 July.
The group from EET – dubbed Crafty Kids by homework club coordinator Corlia Bloch – is made up of schoolchildren from the neighbourhood around the education NGO’s centre in Swartdam Road, who go there after school on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday afternoon.
They joined current and former teachers and learners from the high school, EET staff and representatives from Rotary Club of Hermanus (RCH) at a tea party earlier this month at EET to celebrate five months of making the winter warmers as well as a teddy bear, headbands, phone pouches, bookmarks and keyrings.
“We are grateful for everything everybody in the community is doing for us,” said Hermanus Night Shelter weekend supervisor Antoinette Bishop. “The guests have been overwhelmed because so many people have come forward to help us this year.”
Elsa Nel, a retired history teacher from the high school, began teaching the Crafty Kids knitting and other handicrafts in February.
Crafty Kids consists of 10 girls from Hermanus Primary, Hermanus Christian Academy, Overstrand Learning Centre, Northcliff House College, Hawston Primary and Okkie Smuts Primary in Stanford. The idea, said Bloch, was to give them new skills and loop in with 15 learners from the high school, who were making woollens for the shelter as a community service project with help from teachers and parents.
Muller explained that the project was one of many that high school learners can participate in under the Interact scheme, which the Rotarians support and oversee.
Bloch is also keen to maintain the momentum and start doing other crafts. “I really want to continue the project, but to do that I’ll need help from more volunteers,” she said.
Rotary president Natalie Scholtz, who was at the tea party, said: “Knitwear and crochet are such beautiful treats to give. And it’s a different skill learning to read a pattern. So carry on, don’t stop now.”
The response from people wanting to volunteer and sponsor the project has been “overwhelming”, Bloch said. RCH donated wool, while Overstrand Hospice donated knitting needles. The EET project has even passed some of its wool and needles on to the Night Shelter and other knitters in Mount Pleasant.
Margot Scheepers, one of the High School Interact members, said: “When you don’t have anything to do, or you’re a bit bored, you can always knit and it’s going to keep you busy and keep your brain occupied. And it’s a meaningful thing for kids to learn and could help them in the future.”
The positive show of support has energised the EET scheme to come up with new ideas to support the community and the plan is next to get the Crafty Kids knitting sanitary pad bags to distribute to local charities.
To volunteer or donate to the crafting project, email corliabloch@yahoo.co.uk or call 028 313 6500
