South Africans are invited to rally together over the next few months to help create the Rainbow Nation Blanket of Hope, knitting or crocheting blankets of any size, in bright, vivid, rainbow colours to evoke the warm and generous spirit of our rainbow nation.
Johannesburg, South Africa (09 February 2022) – To celebrate the compassion and resilience of South Africans through a tough two years of COVID-19 and lockdowns, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day is partnering with NGO Gift of the Givers to create a gigantic Rainbow Nation Blanket of Hope.
In 2013, she was hosting a birthday lunch for her husband, the insurance entrepreneur Douw Steyn, and one of the guests was Zelda la Grange, who was for many years the personal assistant of Nelson Mandela.
From a casual chat on that day, came the inspiration for an idea that has since turned into a global phenomenon of goodwill and positive change: 67 Blankets for Mandela. Stitch by stitch, the campaign has generated warmth and hope for millions of needy South Africans and has become an annual record-breaking event that aims to keep the legacy of Madiba alive and well.
And now with the 2022 date rapidly approaching, what better way to show our appreciation for the selfless work that the non–profit organisation Gift of the Givers and healthcare workers have done than by picking up our knitting needles and crochet hooks for a good cause?
“The gift of hope is the biggest gift we can give South Africans during this time of uncertainty,” says 67 Blankets founder and KnitWit-in-chief Carolyn Steyn.
“We are excited about partnering with Gift of the Givers, who exemplify ethical and compassionate leadership, to distribute the thousands of blankets our KnitWits around the country will be producing in all the colours of the rainbow – symbolising our collective hope for the future.”
The founder of Gift of the Givers, Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, said: “Gift of the Givers appreciates the partnership with 67 Blankets for Mandela as this relationship embodies the concept of active citizenry and selflessness where we as a nation stand up and hold hands together to assist the most vulnerable and least endowed within our communities. A blanket symbolises hope, bringing warmth, comfort, ease and specifically unconditional love when knitted by a complete stranger for a fellow national. This altruistic action by those who encourage, promote, knit and sponsor the campaign is, in essence, an act of deep spirituality for the greater good, providing a better life for all in keeping with the ethos of Mandela Day and what the late president epitomised.”
South Africans are invited to rally together over the next few months to help create the Rainbow Nation Blanket of Hope, knitting or crocheting blankets of any size, in bright, vivid, rainbow colours to evoke the warm and generous spirit of our rainbow nation.
You have until the end of March 2022 to get those needles and hooks clicking away to hand in your blankets. The massive ‘combined’ blanket will be laid out at Steyn City School in Johannesburg during May 2022, after which Gift of the Givers will distribute individual blankets to people in need before the onset of winter. Join the multi-award-winning, world-record-breaking 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela and highly respected humanitarian foundation Gift of the Givers, who both represent South Africa’s irrepressible spirit of ubuntu by helping to craft the Rainbow Nation Blanket of Hope.
More details are available at 67blankets.co.za.
by 