Berea resident joins Madiba blanket initiative to knit nation together

AMONG the thousands of volunteers lending their knitting skills to the 67 Blankets for Mandela Day campaign, is Berea resident, Franki Millis.

Hills is one of KZN’s 67 Blankets ambassadors. When she is not knitting for the cause, she works with the Durban University of Technology’s (DUT) Covid-19 Response Task Team.

“I have been with 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day since Carolyn Steyn sent out that first email asking for help to make 67 blankets in time for Nelson Mandela Day,” said Hills.

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“That was about seven and a half years ago, and I’m still hooked. Some people ask why we don’t just buy cheap blankets and hand them out. But there is something so much more powerful about giving someone a blanket that has been painstakingly made by hand, with love, for that person. Knitting and crochet take time. Making a blanket takes commitment. Our blankets have special meaning when, with each stitch, we infuse our creations with hope and positivity, with love for fellow humans. We might have broken several world records – and that’s really fun to do – but it comes down to two things: kindness and love. I can’t see myself not being a 67 Blankets ambassador. It’s in my blood. As Tata Madiba said: ‘It is in your hands.’ We have taken his wisdom to heart. Viva 67 Blankets, Viva,” added Hills.

The initiative, now in its eighth year, started in 2013 when Zelda la Grange, former personal assistant to Nelson Mandela, challenged Johannesburg-based arts patron Carolyn Steyn to knit 67 blankets for Nelson Mandela Day. Steyn picked up the challenge with her characteristic vigour and has developed this project on a massive scale.

“It has achieved four Guinness World Records and recently created the massive Bokke Blanket which celebrated the Springboks’ 2019 Rugby World Cup victory. There are now thousands of Knitwits for Madiba, as they call themselves, creating blankets and scarves for those in need. The organisation, which has ambassadors in each province, extends far and wide in South Africa and there are even Knitwits abroad. Now is a time when there is a vital need to help people who have lost their homes after the recent conflict. In this way, we can help in the major efforts to rebuild South Africa and keep people – who may have lost everything – money, clothing, homes, businesses, etc – warm in the process,” said Steyn.

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“Stitch by stitch, we are knitting the nation together; spreading the love we infuse into every blanket we make around South Africa,” she added.

Steyn said that while KZN ambassadors are working hard to gain support, 67 Blankets relies on the generosity of members of the public for donations of wool.

To support the cause, send an email to info@67blankets.co.za to request information about local drop-off points. For more information, visit the 67 Blankets for Mandela Day Facebook page or visit the website: https://67blankets.co.za.