As part of their Dream Innovate Yourself (DIY) class, the Grade 5s at Crawford Preparatory Fourways made sleeping bags out of plastic bags and newspaper.
DIY aims to teach children life skills, community engagement and relationships, social awareness and communication skills as part of the curriculum offered at the school. The purpose of the project was to use recyclable material to make sleeping bags for those less fortunate which is able to withstand cold and wet conditions and keep warm during winter.
The children’s enthusiasm for this project was seen right from the beginning, where they sorted out piles of newspapers that were donated and held a bake sale to raise money for the plastic bags required. A total of 30 sleeping bags were made and they are light yet durable and large enough for an adult and small child.
On the 4 June, the sleeping bags were donated to the Dulcé Café located at the Fourways Life Hospital. As part of their corporate social initiative this winter, Wiese Coffee Holdings partnered with the Help Where it Hurts organisation to collect clothes and blankets at their 60 cafés located nationwide.
“It is heart-warming to see the contribution that is made across South Africa to help those less fortunate,” said Brigid Jaucot, in charge of sales and marketing for Wiese Coffee Holdings.
There are boxes located at each of the Weisenhoff and Dulcé Cafés for the patrons and the public to place clothes and blankets.
Zeenath Pema represented Help Where it Hurts and met the staff and Grade 5 children to receive the sleeping bags. The sleeping bags will be handed out to homeless people to keep warm this winter.
“The project is a great cost-effective way in which to make a huge difference to those without a roof over their head and no source of warmth,” Pema said.
The sleeping bags, blankets and warm clothes will be handed out at soup kitchens, intersections and bridges where Help Where it Hurts’ volunteers locate homeless people who are in need of a warm meal, clothes and blankets.
Visit www.helpwhereithurts.co.za for more information.
