The Dainfern College community handed over handmade items to 67 Blankets for Mandela on 30 March.
Consisting of learners, staff members, parents and the wider community, the group got out their knitting and crocheting needles to make blankets and blanket squares.
Lisa Mancer has been working with 67 Blankets since their inception and has also been coordinating the school’s contributions.
She said the school’s outreach programme has been supporting 67 Blankets in order to give back to the community. “I absolutely expected the turnout from Dainfern with their contributions,” she said.
“We have always been involved with 67 Blankets since their inception, and all the donations come from those in the community. High school learners were taught how to crochet and knit so that contributions of the squares and blankets could be made.”
According to the 67 Blankets website, the movement was founded in 2013 by Carolyn Steyn. She was presented with a challenge to knit, sew or crochet 67 blankets to be distributed on Mandela Day to the needy, by the late Nelson Mandela’s former assistant Zelda la Grange. She had called friends to help which then brought about the Facebook group 67 Blankets for Mandela Day. Many people from around the world then pledged to knit a blanket for Mandela Day.
Dainfern’s digital media and communication spokesperson, Ashley van Aswegen said 11 blankets were handed over to 67 Blankets for their Bokke Blanket project, with another 23 blankets to be donated to vulnerable communities.
“This is all thanks to the efforts of the Dainfern College Foundation and Dainfern College Outreach teams. The teams also contribute their time to making other wool items,” she said.
“In addition to the blankets, the teams handed 17 baby jumpers, eight beanies, 16 toddler jerseys, 15 baby sets, eight pairs of socks, two cushions, two baby blankets and a bag of gently used babywear donated by a parent over to Community Hours who will donate these items to communities in need.”
Van Aswegen and Mancer said the school places a strong emphasis and heritage on outreach, which brings in a number of projects taking place in the community where learners get involved.
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