HER deep-seated love for children is what gives Barbara Gill the motivation to assist the underprivileged.
The 92-year-old woman from Glenhills knitted 30 dresses per month for 30 years before the Covid-19 pandemic hit. She now knits teddy bears, which she has donated to various organisations.
“It all started when I got involved in a fundraiser to raise money to build a new Catholic church. A group of women and myself held a fete in my garden and I knitted various items to sell,” said Gill.
ALSO READ: Spread some love with baby home in Glenhills
Always fond of children, Gill decided to ask the women she worked with at the medical aid society to join her and knit teddy bears as well as make toys for underprivileged children.
“I worked at a medical aid society from 1952 to 1981. I asked the women I worked with to start knitting teddy bears. We ended up with a whole desk full,” she said.
When the church was finally built, Gill joined the women’s guild and became involved in various projects.
“When I retired, I became more hands on in making things and started to sew and knit for the church’s projects,” she said.
This is when Gill started to make dresses for girls.
“I made 30 dresses a month, about four a day,” she said.
Unfortunately, Gill stopped making dresses during the hard lockdown in 2020 as various projects came to a halt due to Covid-19 restrictions.
“I couldn’t get any materials as well. So I finished up whatever I had and, at the end of 2020, I handed in 98 dresses,” said Gill.
Her latest projects include making rugs and knitting beanies for winter.
“Knitting is second nature to me. I also get to watch TV and knit at the same time. With sewing, it’s a bit more difficult,” she said.
Gill was awarded a certificate of appreciation from Childline KwaZulu-Natal in 2005 for all of her efforts.
“Grown-ups can help themselves. Little ones can’t, which is why I always choose to assist projects where children are involved,” said Gill.
* Notice: Coronavirus reporting at Caxton Local Media aims to combat fake news
Dear reader, As your local news provider, we have the duty of keeping you factually informed on Covid-19 developments. As you may have noticed, mis- and disinformation (also known as “fake news”) is circulating online. Caxton Local Media is determined to filter through the masses of information doing the rounds and to separate truth from untruth to keep you adequately informed. Local newsrooms follow a strict pre-publication fact-checking protocol. A national task team has been established to assist in bringing you credible news reports on Covid-19. Readers with any comments or queries may contact National Group Editor Irma Green (irma@caxton.co.za) or Legal Adviser Helene Eloff (helene@caxton.co.za)
You can also sign up for news alerts on Telegram. Send us a Telegram message (not an SMS) with your name and surname (ONLY) to 060 532 5532.
For more from Northglen News follow us on Facebook or Twitter. You can also follow us on Instagram
