The greatest gift the more senior members of society can give is that of knowledge. Helping the young girls of Davidsonville with basic skills development are two local women, Sarah Tshabalala and Esmé Elias.
Sarah and Esmé handed out prizes to their committed group of young girls who have been learning sewing and knitting on Wednesday, 20 November. The basic skill enables them to knit, sew and repair clothing and other woollen garments. The girls attend the nearby aftercare and are given the opportunity to sharpen their needlework proficiency for an hour every day.
Sarah, who is now 87 years old, has been knitting since she was 12. She and Esmé are both retired nurses and have seen this project go from a simple homework group to the specialised class it is now in the space of just under two years. Making use of the Davidsonville Recreation Centre, Esmé spoke of the earlier challenges, saying, “We used to use the girls’ bathrooms sometimes, because the hall was booked out or locked. We have had to deal with much disturbance since we started.”
All the girls who had taken on the challenge to learn this age-old skill were given sponsored hampers. They had to complete up to five articles of clothing including mittens and beanies as well as crochet panels. Developing skills at a young age is vital and with the guidance of experienced hands the foundations are truly being laid for greater achievements.
