uthando dolls

This fantastic project sparked into life in 2004 in a Gooseberry Hill house here in Kalamunda Shire.

An infant, child and family psychologist had travelled to KwaZulu-Natal Province in South Africa and spent time in a hospital and returned determined 'to find a group of volunteers to make dolls for the children of the Hlabisa district' where she had visited the hospital. This in KwaZulu-Natal province where two thirds of children live in poverty and a majority have been affected by the AIDS/HIV pandemic.

The 'Project has grown from this initial invitation to dollmakers and
working with dlalanathi who work with communities and children through 'Play 4 Communication' dolls are provided to children to communicate through play with a doll that is theirs.

Initially nine women made the dolls..sewed or knitted or crocheted but sturdy, colourful and brown skinned..and now, almost ten years later, it is a world wide phenomenon!
Following a pattern, doll makers supply their time and materials free of charge and it is HUGE!
Workshops have been set up through schools and women's prisons and materials for these workshops are donated.
33500 dolls have been sent from Australia and not only are there dolls now but African animals, perhaps more suited to the lads. Each doll travels with a satchel containing a change of clothes and a cloth wrap.

Today in Kalamunda's Exhibition space there is a display of dolls and hands on workshops and while the dolls are not normally for sale, this week they are, including doll making kits. All proceeds go to the Uthando Project and their fundraising for training local staff in the various agencies at the coal face in KZN.

While my sewing is limited to a dodgy attachment of a cub badge on a cub shirt some 20 years ago, look out those who can wield a needle, crochet knitting or sewing!
Guess what is in your christmas stocking:)

Oh and uthando means 'love ' in the Zulu language.

here's the link http://www.uthandoproject.org