Valley Beanies for children in Zimbabwe
25 Sep 09
When most of us think of Africa we think heat, dryness and desert.
Africa is a huge continent and of course there are parts of the continent that fit this description.
However, the southern countries in Africa, which include Zimbabwe, can receive bitter cold winters, just as we do here in the Valley. Our seasons are the same, with the exception that the sun shines in Zimbabwe all winter long, as the wet season starts in October.
It was this information that prompted Wendy Allan, from Oshun Leye in the Valley, to put her knitting needles into overdrive and begin knitting beanies for the children of the Matthew Rusike Children's Home (MRCH, an orphanage) just outside of Harare, capital of Zimbabwe.
Wendy and a couple of helpers namely Rhonda Price, and Jacinta Garret, began knitting the childen's beanies in May this year and continued at a breakneck speed until 17th July when I had planned my trip to stay with the children at the Home.
I stuffed the 45 beanies and 10 jumpers into vaccum storage bags, packed them in my suitcase and flew off to Zimbabwe.
We knew we didn't have enough beanies for all the children at the Home, so when it was time to hand them out, the staff at MRCH gathered all the littlest children together and sat them on the grass.
At the Home, it is always the little ones who come first when it's time for food distribution and donations.
The children who received their beanies this time, aged 10 months to 6 years, were so wonderfully quiet and well behaved as I carefully selected just the right one in terms of colour and size to put on each little head.
What a tremendous joy it was to see a mini ocean of brightly coloured beanies on happy little children whose heads were now nice and warm!
In Zimbabwe they call beanies, ‘woollen hats'. I taught the children the word ‘beanie' and although the little ones do not speak English, all I could hear in between their sweet conversations was the word ‘beanie'!
The next morning after receiving their beanies, the first thing three year old Paul said to his house mother was, ‘Mama, where's my beanie!'
The children loved their beautiful beanies. On behalf of the children, I thank you, Wendy, Rhonda and Jacinta from the bottom of our hearts, for your wonderful efforts in knitting these gorgeous beanies!
Wendy is still busily knitting away in order to make sure that the rest of the older children receive their beanies when I visit them again at the end of this year.
Of course, it will be summer in Zimbabwe by then, however, we will have ensured that all the 100+ children will have received their own beanie and be covered for next winter.
The orphaned children at the Matthew Rusike Children's Home are available for sponsorship through a highly personalized Child Educational Sponsorship Program managed by Susy James, MRCH Sponsorship Coordinator, from within the Valley.
There are still many children available for sponsorship, as there is a constant stream of new children being admitted to the Home due to the epidemic levels of HIV/AIDS related deaths of their parents, leaving countless numbers of children orphaned in the streets of Zimbabwe.
If you have in the past thought about sponsoring a child somewhere in the world, but were unsure as to how your funds would be used, you can be guaranteed that with this small and personalised program, all your funds are used for the education and care of your sponsored child.
Susy visits the Home approximately 2-3 times per year.
If you would like to know more about this personalised program you may contact Susy on mrch.sponsorship@gmail.com or call
0411 337 990.
Also, during the October long weekend, a fundraising cake stall will be placed outside Wendy's shop, Oshun Leye, in order to raise funds to continue to assist the Home and the children with various expenses.
Children will also be available for sponsorship at that time.
If you would like to donate a cake/muffins etc, please email Susy at the above address.
On the weekend, please come and visit our stall, have a chat about the children and the program, and purchase what are sure to be delicious treats!
Susy James