THE importance of giving back to society can’t be understated. This much is true for Martie Strydom, a Somerset Park resident, who recently knitted more than 150 beanies for premature babies at a local hospital.
The local grandmother responded to an appeal by King Edward VIII Hospital to knit the beanies for the babies.
Strydom, whose mother taught her how to knit as a youngster, then delivered the heartfelt donation to The Baby Home Durban North, which distributes them to hospitals in need.
“My friend’s daughter mentioned this in passing and I had lots of scraps of wool from previous projects. I thought to myself ‘why not help out?’. It keeps me busy and you can multi-task while doing it. The first batch I did, I donated 97 beanies and then the second batch I donated an additional 56.
Also Read: Where there’s wool there’s a way for Durban North baby home
“Community and giving back is important to me, so being able to give back in this way is very special. It’s amazing to think about how many lives these beanies will touch,” she said.
Strydom knits between six or seven beanies in one sitting.
“I’m very lucky because I have generous friends who donated extra wool for me to use. It keeps me busy and I would encourage people to try knitting. It’s a wonderful pastime and is actually quite relaxing. I find I’m able to complete a few tasks while doing it,” Strydom said.
Jo Teunissen, from The Baby Home Durban North, praised the north Durban community for their donations.
“The local community is great when it comes to this appeal. For the last few years we’ve put out the call and residents have answered in their numbers. I’m in awe of people like Martie for their generosity. All of the premature beanies were donated between Addington Hospital, King Edward VIII Hospital and Stanger Hospital. We also distributed several beanies to an organisation called Keep Hope Alive, which distributes them to women in rural areas.
Also Read: Durban North church’s knit-a-thon warmth project a success
“There’s always a great need for these types of beanies and socks in different shapes and sizes. It keeps the babies’ heads and feet warm, especially as some clothing items aren’t easy to find for premature babies. What I feel is admirable is that many of the people who donate to the cause often do so at expense to themselves, in terms of purchasing wool. The fact that they don’t have much themselves but give with their heart is amazing,” Teunissen said.
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