For the first time since founding her Little Lamb Project Zhara—who started the initiative of giving plush lamb toys to sick patients as a child fighting cancer—was able to share the gifts at hospitals without being a patient herself:
Cape Town, South Africa (28 March 2025) — Zhara du Toit is behind Zhara’s Little Lamb Project—an initiative that gives comfort to patients facing scary health battles through plush, crocheted and knitted lambs.
In a full-circle moment for Zhara, her family and supporters, the brave girl recently got to distribute gifts and goodies to hospital patients—without being a patient herself.
Zhara began her Little Lamb Project when she was just a child.
Before her first major operation as an 11-year-old cancer fighter, she’d been gifted a little lamb. She never forgot how much comfort the toy gave her during such a scary time; a feeling of safety that she decided others in the midst of their own health battles deserved too.
With help from non-profit 2Cchange and her parents, Zhara’s Little Lamb Project slowly but surely began bringing a little light to the dark days for patients all over South Africa.
It was a heartwarming movement and one that reminded all of us who had learned of her story that you don’t need much to make change—just a little kindness, good intentions, and a mission people can get behind.
However, all the while, Zhara was still fighting cancer herself—a lengthy battle that saw many twists and turns.
Good news came in late 2023 for her and her family as Zhara celebrated the end of her radiation treatment and proudly rang the bell at Groote Schuur. By August the next year, she celebrated six months in remission.
Recently, Zhara, along with other leaders at Lochnerhof Primary School, went to deliver lambs and food parcels to the Tygerberg and Rooikruis hospitals, as well as toiletry goodies for parents.
It was a particularly special visit and a full-circle moment, with Zhara being a visitor and not a patient for once. While the trip was emotional, it was also a reminder of how far Zhara had come since the day she got her first lamb.
Zhara’s Little Lamb Project is still ongoing, and always on the lookout for new lambs to join the flock.
Whether you knit or crochet in your free time or are part of a group that does, you’re encouraged to join the little lambs and make your crafts go the extra mile!
And, if you can’t craft but still wish to help, you can make a donation to have a lamb made on your behalf.
Contact 2cchange@hotspots2c.co.za for more info and join the Facebook community, here.
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