Africa

[MLLORF]

Perhaps someone here can help us....Does anyone know of or participate in any groups that are sending crochet items to Africa? My daughter recently saw a program that told how many babies die within a month to a year of birth and one of the leading causes is because they do not have items to keep them warm. I have checked online and will continue my search.

[Kiki]

I don't, but if you find out, please let us know! I'll look, too!

[head2toepets2go]

Lucy,

 

I have a "source" that ships things overseas and I know they have in the past sent things to African orphanages, I will check with her to see if she has and connections sh can pass along.

 

Please don't be alarmed if it take a bit to get a reply, as this person works full-time, has 4 children and runs a charity "on the side".

 

Fran

[salos]

Lucy, hi. I share your concern. Some hospitals in South Africa are sending babies home in newspapers because neither the parents nor the hospitals have baby blankets. And here I am with dozens of baby blankets and quilts in my basement. I'm sending some things through our church youth group that's making a trip this summer. I'm not sure, though, that they'll be able to take all my stuff.

[theworm]

A friend of mine works in wildlife conservation and has been to Africa many many times. She has friends there that help local orphanages, and she and her husband send money every month. It's not a formal organization - its loccal people who work and support the orphanages. If you're interested in more info, PM me and I can get some addresses and perhaps an e-mail address.

[Ro]

I know of a great little place to send things to in Africa. I have sent them blankets in the past and they sent me pictures back...I'd be happy to share the info with you. But the thing is you have to pay your own shipping. If you send in a Tyvek envelope (unrippable) you can send a couple small (lightweight yarn) lovies for about 12.00 postage and they get there FAST.

 

I will post more details soon, right now I have to run out the door. In the meantime I leave you with their website www.sunbeamkids.org.za check it out!!!

 

hugs

Ro

[MLLORF]

Thank you for your responses. I will take any information anyone has. Please PM me the info. We are finishing with a local project and thought we would just go into another one. We have a large stash to use up.

[Grete]

I knit and crochet hat and socks for a childrenhospital in Tanzania. But it is a nurse here in Norway who is taken it whit here down there when she is visit them. I can ask her if it is any person in USA who is there too, and can take it down there.

[nikki]

www.babybearproject.tk

[salos]

A friend told me that she's going to Africa and can take 140 pounds worth of stuff with her at no extra charge. So I'm set. Maybe you could contact missions organizations and they could connect you with a local group that is going. If you live in a big city, maybe you could even run a personal ad in the paper.

[head2toepets2go]

this is what I heard back from me "source"

 

We are aware of one particular baby orphanage there, however apart from mailing a box directly to them which is risky, and extremely costly( I priced it at post office!!!!in the hundreds!!!), we have no means of sending blankets to them at this point. Should this change, and we've asked the director to let us know, should there ever be a missions team going there, we'll very gladly send some with them.

Africa almost requires a shipment sent by container. We have already started to pursue this before now through a Toronto Mission <name removed> heard about in an indirect way.I have some information thus far but need to know more yet. We have shipped by container before with the Pentacostal Assemblies of Canada to Zambia. We'll have to see how this new avenue fairs out.

 

The people I work with make every effort to ensure the kids get what is shipped - apprently shipments often end up sold on the black market or are simply taken by the adult who receives it. They also ship smaller boxes (rather than a crate) as they pass thru customs easier (read: without being opened by every Tom, Dick & Harry) and are generally hand-delivered by the post-office to a specific person who hand-delivers the goods to a child. They also **try** to get pictures of the kids receiving the blankets and will not ship a second batch/box until they have confirmation the the first batch/box was receiver un-harmed at its destination.

 

I am so glad all I have to do it make the blankets, as all the other work involved would be stresssfull for me. Good luck finding a source to send you stuff - and I should have known RO would know somebody!

 

Fran

[DainaJ]

Your question rang a bell, and I found this information online. Don't know how old the Web site was, so you might want to check with the person listed before sending anything!

 

SERVICE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, INC. - A NON PROFIT 501c3 ORG

291 Dutch Lane

Pittsburgh, PA 15236

Contact: Sherri Elizabeth Kearns

+1 (412) 400-7009

email: sek@helpcatholiccharities.org

World Wide Web: http://www.donate-to-charity.helpcatholiccharities.org

Service for the Love of God, Inc. exists as a non-profit 501 C 3 catholic based charitable organization committed to sharing God's love through prayer, support, services, material goods and cultural exchange between the people of Benin (West Africa) and the people of the United States of America.

 

Dear Friends:

 

During our Mission in Benin, Africa we visited a Leper Colony. There were approximately 45 lepers at the colony and many of them had dressings over their wounds. The dressings were old, tattered and very dirty. The doctor said they are in desperate need of new dressings. Africa has many victims of the terrible disease leprosy. They are outcasts in society and life is not kind to them. You can help make life a little easier for them by making and donating these handmade bandages to wrap their wounds. You may wonder why handmade bandages and not gauze bandages. The reason is that the handmade bandages breathe better and can be washed for re-use. If you have the God given talent to be able to crochet and you have the time to share with our brothers and sisters in Jesus then we ask you PLEASE to help us by making some bandages for the lepers of Benin.

Crocheting Leper Bandages Directions

 

Items needed:

 

1 ball of 100% mercerized cotton 4 ply size 10 bedspread weight thread. (white – 225 yards, machine washable) Size D crochet hook.

 

Directions:

 

Use size D crochet hook (loose tension desirable). Chain enough stitches to measure about 3†in width. Single crochet into each chain. Chain one and turn. Continue until approximately 3 feet in length.

[MLLORF]

DainaJ: Thanks for the information. We now have a couple options. I appreciate everyone helping us find these places.

[Amy]

Daina, it looks as if the information you pasted in was taken from another website. Is that correct? If so, we may need to edit your post to remove the information pasted here and provide just a link to that information.

 

The text on most websites is copyrighted, and we need to have the owner's permission to paste the information here.

 

Chances are they will probably give us permission to promote their charity effort here, but we need to play by the rules.

 

Can you provide us with the URL, and then send them an email asking for their permission to post that information from their website here?

 

Thanks!!

[squish_52]

have you tried operation blessing?

[alie]

I found this site by accident, in particular all the replies to this thread on items for babies in africa. The charity is the BABY BEAR PROJECT in Kwa Zulu Natal and anything sent is gratefully received & desperately needed.

The address to post your donations to is as follows:-

 

Parish of Margate

Box 401

Port Shepstone

Kwa Zulu Natal 4240

South Africa

 

Their website is at

www.babybearproject.tk

 

A group of us ladies here in Northern Ireland had been crocheting, knitting and sewing wee baby things for this charity for a year now and it is so heart warming to receive letters and photos/ emails and photos, that show these wee tiny newborns wearing our handiwork!!

 

Thank you for your concern and interest. Alison xxx

[xampx]

I looked at the baby bear project website. It looks really good, i was wanting to make some baby clothes but i didnt have anyone to give them to. Il get onto that i think

[head2toepets2go]

I knew my person had connections in Africa!!!

 

http://www.heartforafrica.org/

 

This site has lots of ways to help people in Africa, if you click on the newsletter-blogspot link in the President's comments, it will take you to a page FILLED with ways to help - including my contacts Jabez Blankets. Hope this helps y'all out!!

 

Fran

 

**Note - this webpage is very Church-based, if you're not the religious-type its just a heads-up