Partnership for Africa Changes Lives
Donate and knit for the very worthy Partnership for Africa charity
Partnership for Africa is a big charity. They aren't like some of the knitting charities we've covered, which are smaller, individually-led, and tackling local problems. Partnership for Africa is a dedicated organization with a single overriding goal: to help Kenyan orphans by providing them with education; spiritual, physical, and emotional care; practical life skills; and a place to call home.
We have to remember that AIDS, a disease that, while tragic, is largely under control in the United States, remains a raging epidemic in Africa. While some of these children lose parents due to other illnesses or economic hardship, most of them are AIDS orphans. It's hard to imagine the suffering these children must endure, but Partnership for Africa not only imagines it -- they find solutions to deal with it head on.
How charity knitting helps
On the surface, Partnership for Africa is not a knitting charity. They have lofty goals involving building schools, creating safe havens for orphans, and many other noble endeavors. However, everyone can get involved with Partnership for Africa, including those of us who love knitting for charity.
Obviously, you don't have to knit to help out: you can make a financial donation, or even volunteer to go on a mission trip! But more to the point for charity knits, Partnership for Africa deals with children who have absolutely nothing, not even a family to love them. Given that, there are a lot of things they need -- and knitters are great at providing for those necessities.
Just about anything you knit will find a welcome home with a Kenyan orphan. Some suggestions include clothing, socks, blankets, and stuffed animals. Because Kenya has a very hot climate, try to stick to materials like cotton that are lighter and breathe well. However, pretty much anything you create will become a treasured possession for an orphaned child. Visit the Partnership for Africa website to find out where to send your finished products.
This is one of those instances where a handknit item really does say so much more than something mass produced. To an orphaned child, completely alone, desperate for both food and love, a handknit item says that someone somewhere cares, and it can make all the difference in the world.
The best thing about charity knitting is exactly this. Some people argue that, for the cost of one handknit blanket, you could make a financial donation that would buy three or four cheap blankets and help more people. But those people are forgetting the emotional aspect of charity knitting. It's not just about providing a blanket -- anyone can do that. It's about making a child feel special and loved.
If you do charity knits, you already knew that. And that means you know what a difference you can make. So get out your needles and get started: Partnership for Africa is waiting to hear from you.
