Kindness Like Confetti cares for the men and women in blue

To mark South African Police Service Day on 23 June, local NPO Kindness Like Confetti decided to do something special for the men and women in blue who have been working tirelessly to keep our streets safe during the lockdown period.

Started by the Jozi Jersey Project, which is the knitting arm of Kindness Like Confetti, the team came up with the idea to knit beanies and scarves for police officers. “We were given the green light but we also found out that the officers would not be allowed to wear them on duty as they are not standard issue uniform,” said Kim Wiehe of the Jozi Jersey Project. The team decided to donate to the members of the victim support unit. Kindness Like Confetti organised mugs with soup to be given to all members of the station’s staff.

Linden Community Police Forum secretary Annelize Tichauer said that during this lockdown period, officers have worked incredibly hard, and twice as hard as they normally would. “They have had to carry their normal duties and they have had to carry extra duties due to the lockdown. Most of the time, this has been done with very little appreciation. A small token of appreciation like this can make the world of a difference,” she said.

Kindness Like Confetti’s Shiree Vorster added, “Every day since the lockdown has started, members of our community have blown vuvuzelas at the same time every evening to show their support for all the people who are caring for and keeping those in need safe. It’s so comforting to know that there are people out there that care about these people.”The NPO’s Claire Duvel added that the police are doing a stellar job at keeping us safe. “We’ve all been reading about the rise in domestic abuse cases against women and children, and the police have a tough job on their hands. This is something just to show a bit of appreciation towards them,” she said.

The team will also be donating mugs of soup and knitted beanies and scarves to the members of the Fairland Police Station.