Winter is fast approaching and for most of us that means warm jackets, coats, boots, a home to go to at the end of the day, a meal to fill our stomachs and a cosy bed to climb into. However for others this is not the case.
Inspired by a recent post on Facebook (https://www.goodthingsguy.com/lifestyle/south-africans-scarves/……..the Rhodes Business School in conjunction with 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela and Grahamstown Knitwits have challenged themselves to implement this initiative in Grahamstown. We would like to extend this challenge to the wider Grahamstown community to knit or crochet scarves in honour of 67 Minutes for Mandela. On 13 July 2017, the scarves will be draped over trees, lampposts, and bridges all over Grahamstown for those less fortunate to take to keep them warm during these cold winter months.
As Nelson Mandela said: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel“. We would love to be able to make a difference to someone who is less fortunate than ourselves.
The Rhodes Business School will supervise this initiative and already the Diocesan School for Girls Interact Club have come on board to assist with this initiative. We would love to urge the Grahamstown community to take on this challenge with us; to teach people a new skill of knitting or crocheting, to willingly do something for a complete stranger less fortunate than ourselves and to put Grahamstown on the map as a town that cares for its own.
The concept of The Secret Scarf Mission is to leave the scarves tied around trees, dangling along bridges, tied around lamp posts on Thursday 13 July 2017. These scarves will be there for anyone that needs them, all around our beautiful town, and, this initiative will be done throughout our country on the 13 July 2017.
As philanthropist and ‘Arts Angel’, Carolyn Steyn suggested that all South Africans knit scarves and leave them in public places for those less fortunate: “We will display our scarves (made with love) – each one bearing our special trademark logo and message : “I AM NOT LOST. IF YOU ARE COLD AND NEED ME, PLEASE TAKE ME. LOVE, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day”.
The Business School hopes to make this an annual initiative so urges townsfolk to get those needles out, brush up on your crocheting and knitting skills, spend time teaching others no matter how old or young and let’s get Grahamstown in the news for all the right reasons.
Completed scarvescan be dropped off before the 13 July at the Rhodes Business School. For enquiries contact: Aviwe Petsha: 046 603 8617 or a.petsha@ru.ac.za
