The work of grassroots organisations and individual carers

The remarkable work grassroots organisations and individuals do for the children

There are hundreds of reputable grassroots organisations and individuals working tirelessly in Southern Africa and around the world to bring a semblance of normality into the lives of the many millions of orphaned or vulnerable children.

For today and for tomorrow

It is not just for the children that they work, but for the future they will have lost, if they have not benefited from both the socialisation that a family and community brings and the prospects that education affords. These are fundamental rights that we as a world community expect for all our children.

These far-seeing grassroots organisations and people understand and plan, not just to give the orphans and vulnerable children the basics today, but to ensure that the future of their countries is not shaped by disaffected, uneducated and unhappy adults.

Many of them have come up with novel and innovative ways to provide the care the children need to feel part of a community, achieve a level of education and maintain a reasonable standard of health, particularly if they are infected with the HIV virus.  They deserve our support.

The daycare carers

Knit-a-square South Africa is also in regular touch with many of the hundreds of enterprising women who have set up small daycare centres to look after children who would otherwise be left alone with no one to attend to them. These women care for the children with little money or support, and yet they provide them with education, singing, dancing, as much nourishment as they can afford, and a sense of belonging.

Superhero individuals

As we do our work, we come across many praiseworthy individuals too, like Chirpo Makowi Fandera, who on her own has offered respite to 25 orphans.

The list below just samples a few of the incredible organisations invested in working to offset the devastation of so many millions of children left without proper care and attention.

Acres of Love

A South African based grassroots organisation whose mission is to provide the most vulnerable affected and infected infants and children with the highest possible quality of care, and with love, a strong early childhood development foundation, a community-based safety net and hope. They seek ‘to feed their bellies and their souls, clothe them with dignity and respect, and offer them a place to belong.’

Home of Hope

A grassroots organisation in Malawi whose mission is to provide the highest quality of care for over 600 resident children, and to ensure transparency and economy in the administration of the home.

Rafiki Mawema

Is a Kenyan based grassroots organisation that rescues orphaned and abandoned children from the streets of Nairobi, where they are being abused.  They take care of the children, emotionally, spiritually and physically and as they grow provide them with the education necessary to see them enter the world as contributing adults.

Hotel Hope

A childrens’ charity set up to house abandoned children or orphans infected or affected by HIV AIDS in family style homes, complete with God-parents and Aunties, Uncles and Grannies who will love and role-model values to the children in our care.

SOS Children

A UK based children’s charity, whose strategic goal for the next eight years is to help a million child sponsors give a million children a family life. Of these, one hundred thousand will be given a new family and home in an SOS Children’s Village and nine hundred thousand, who might otherwise be homeless children, will be able to grow up within their own (extended) family with their support.

What you can do

We hope Knit-a-square will inspire you as a compassionate crafter to add to this wonderful work by providing love, comfort and warmth for orphaned or vulnerable children.

So please crochet or knit a square (or more) and send them to make up blankets for the children. You can find out all about how to contribute here.

Join us the warmest crafters on earth in our Square Circle Forum for knitting and crocheting fun as you work to warm, comfort and provide love for these children so greatly in need.