Children throughout Johannesburg have gotten a winter booster thanks to the collections by The Chinese Association Women’s Federation.
Johannesburg, South Africa (16 August 2021) – Our country has been reporting very high levels of new COVID infections for some time now, so it is safe to use the phrase “there must be something in the air” quite literally. We are currently under lockdown level 3 as the numbers of those infected has escalated tremendously, especially during the winter season.
During these dire times, The Chinese Association Women’s Federation (TCAWF) has dedicated their time to assist those who are less fortunate and who would benefit from a knitting/blanket drive, as previously done for Cuppa for Cansa. This year, their blanket drive was dedicated to the youth of Johannesburg.
The blanket drive was announced through the federation’s social media platforms as well as newsletters. Due to lockdown restrictions, TCAWF was unable to host any fundraising functions and therefore opted for alternative measures such as reaching out to and mobilising TCA, TCAWF and community members to take part in a massive knitting/blanket drive.
The response has been quite phenomenal and overwhelming!!! The TCAWF’s 2021 Knitting/Blanket Drive managed to collect more than 370 handcrafted items made up of blankets, jerseys, beanies & scarves, 185 fleece blankets, 40 polar fleece blankets, 185 pairs of socks, 150 jerseys, 145 beanies, 550 disposable masks, 270 cotton masks, 200 earmuffs and an assortment of toiletries and toys.
This fantastic response was achieved with the encouragement of friends and families within small groups who got together to do handiwork whilst others donated money to buy wool and fleece blankets. Many members of the community capitalised on the lockdown “downtime”. They enjoyed doing handiwork by knitting or crocheting blankets which added a personal touch to giving back and caring for those in need without any expectations.
Small factories donated caps, jerseys, socks and masks to support this great initiative. Many individuals and companies gave monetary donations.
The organisations and charities that were selected as beneficiaries are listed below:
- Nelson Mandela 67 blankets
- Hearts of Hope Orphanage, Wendywood (facilitated by CAN Wendywood/Morningside Manor)
- Banakekeleni Orphanage, Alexandra (facilitated by CAN Wendywood/Morningside Manor)
- Thuthuzela Orphanage, Alexandra (facilitated by CAN Wendywood/Morningside Manor)
- Legae La Alex, Alexandra (facilitated by CAN Wendywood/Morningside Manor)
- Ward 118 DA WARD Disaster Relief Fund
- Booysens Informal Settlement Fund
- Power FM – Weekend Breakfast Community Diary
- Hotel Hope Ministries
- Tshepo Makole Foundation
The reason for this drive is to assist the less fortunate and to keep the children and elderly warm during these very difficult & trying times, as many people cannot afford to purchase food let alone clothing especially during these freezing cold days ahead of us. Although the distribution of the donations during a pandemic has been a challenge, TCA, TCAWF members as well as the beneficiaries have all adhered to COVID protocols to ensure that everyone is safe and protected.
The next big charity project for the TCA, in collaboration with Read to Rise, is the Stationery and Book Drive for 193 grade 3 and 4 pupils of Busisiwe Primary School in Soweto. This will be followed by our annual Christmas drive which will include food parcels and hampers for the needy.
The TCA has a long history of supporting the poor and underprivileged in our society, and with the ongoing support of our community, we will strive to continue. As Confucius says, “CHARITY, LIKE THE SUN, BRIGHTENS ANY OBJECT ON WHICH IT SHINES.”
Let us build and uplift our communities one step at a time.
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