Babies receive jerseys for winter
NORTHWOLD - Retirement village residents knit warm clothes for disadvantaged children.
The Northwold Terrace Retirement Village donated about 664 knitted jerseys to various charities, which include orphans in the informal settlements.
These jerseys were handed over to representatives of these various organisation at a function held at the Northwold Terrace Retirement Village in Northword.
“About 20 ladies from Northwold Terrace Retirement Village and others from outside the complex, knit these jerseys at their spare time. I dish out the wool and they sit in front of their televisions or knit from their handbags. They knit all the year round,” explained Ann Turton, who has been knitting for over 20 years. She added that the wool is donated by various individuals and organisations the previous year, in order for them, to prepare for the next year. “This handover is an annual event which is done in March. This year we held it in April and the wool was donated last year by Floral Affairs, Jenny Ralph, Martie Meiring and Saprotex,” said Turton.
According to Turton this started 20 years ago with few women and flower club and they devoted their time to knit jerseys for various charity organisations. “We also have a sales table whereby we raise money to buy the wool,” said Drake Brigid. Charity organisations which received these jerseys are those that look after babies from orphanages, babies with HIV/Aids, Baragwanath Hospital baby section, orphanage homes and others in Johannesburg. Myra Fussell, Beth Corrie, Bridget Drake, Bart Cox were from the various charities organisations which collected knitted garments.
Dawn Silver, who received jerseys on behalf of the Rainbow Day Care Centre for the Disabled Children, said the jerseys come in handy and mothers are grateful for that. “There is a huge concern about teenagers who are involved in unprotected casual sex and transmit HIV/Aids. This put their babies at risk of contaminating the virus. Teenagers have become too materialistic and they have unprotected sex with ‘sugardaddys’ in exchange for a cellphone,” said Bart Cox who has been collecting jerseys for Rahima Moosa Mother and Child Hospital and other charities.
Details: Ann Turton Northwold Terrace Retirement Village (011) 7913657
