Charity of the month: Greenfields Africa

Greenfields Africa is a registered charity which began with a fundraising project to build a church in the Greenfields township of South Africa. After enough money was raised to build the church, the building is now used as a community centre which provides a children’s classroom, sewing workshop and AIDS testing centre.

Since the first campaign, the charity has continued to support underprivileged communities in Kenya and Uganda, focusing on promoting healthcare, education, welfare and self-reliance.

The Mama Bag project is one of Greenfield’s main campaigns, and you could help! Many new mothers struggle to find anything more than a scrap of cloth to wrap their newborn babies in. That’s where Mama Bags come in. Containing a cotton vest, handknitted items, and locally bought soap, the bags are given to expectant mothers once they have attended three pre-natal appointments, ensuring that they receive all the medical and childcare advice they need.

Knitters all over the UK can help contribute to this worthy project by knitting all sorts of baby items, including beanies, blankets, cardigans, bootees and teddies! Just go to the Greenfields website to register and request a pattern book.

Due to high shipping costs to Africa, Greenfields asks that knitters send an additional donation of 50p per cardigan and £1 per blanket.

For more information, email hattonbar@btinternet.com or visit www.gfafrica.com