Allen Park women knit for needy moms
“Most of the time the babies go home in plastic bags with no clothes,” said Nirvana Maharaj from Pam Golding Properties.
On a brisk Wednesday morning the calm atmosphere at Allen Park was kindled with the toiling hands of elderly women in the Circle of Life knitting project.
Empowered by the charitable contribution by estate agents from Pam Golding Properties, this project seeks to donate hand-knitted or crocheted items to underprivileged moms with new-born babies at government hospitals.
According to Nirvana Maharaj from Pam Golding Properties, the project was started by her principle Nelson Ferreira, and together with Circle of Life they started compiling 100 little boxes filled with baby items.
“It’s for children who are born to underprivileged moms, moms who are rape victims or under-aged,” Maharaj said. She also mentioned a shocking reality that most of the times the babies go home in plastic bags with no clothes.
The items are handmade by the participating women of Allen Park and include beanies, baby booties, baby-grows, as well as fleece blankets. The wool used to knit the items is thanks to weekly donations from Pam Golding Properties, valued at about R800.
Maharaj said the Circle of Life group started out with eight participants, and only three weeks into the project, the group blossomed to 17 women, making their honest and skilled contribution to the cause.
Every week the Pam Golding realtors announce a winner who contributed the prettiest item, and this week the unanimous vote went to Margaret Steyn for her skilled input. Together with the items collected on Wednesday morning, they now stand to donate around 180 baby items.
It’s also a wonderful weekly event for the residents at Allen Park. According to lifestyle management consultant Sarie Scheepers, “What’s truly wonderful about this group of women is the companionship they enjoy. For them it is quaint conversation and they all share the same interests with this initiative.”
Maharaj said donations were most welcome, and anyone seeking to lend a hand to the initiative may do so by donating wool and fleece blankets. Any donations can be contributed at Allen Park on Cactus Street.
