NEWS
Partnerships are working in KwaZulu-Natal
Partnerships developed by the charity have proved absolutely key to our continued success and positive impact. New partnerships are being developed constantly and during these challenging Covid times great strides have been made in this area.
Partnerships developed by the charity have proved absolutely key to our continued success and positive impact. New partnerships are being developed constantly and during these challenging Covid times great strides have been made in this area.
I have great pleasure in bringing you up to date with some of our long-standing partnerships, in both South Africa and the UK, that we have been able to coordinate to make a significant difference on the ground in rural KwaZulu-Natal.
For many years now we have worked closely with the Bettys & Taylors Group from Harrogate, international shipping group, Cardinal Maritime, Eshowe Rotary Club in South Africa as well of course St. Mary’s School, Menston who coordinated this initiative. The Bettys & Taylors community recycling project, The Cone Exchange, has provided much needed knitted clothing for some of the most vulnerable members of the impoverished rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. It is the middle of winter right now in South Africa and the clothing is much needed in the high rural hills which experience very cold temperatures at this time. As they have done many times for the charity, Cardinal Maritime have transported the goods to South Africa for us at no charge. Eshowe Rotary Club have helped us deliver numerous projects and have been instrumental in ensuring that the latest shipment of knitted items have been distributed to the most needy.
The letter below from our good friend Nick Phillips of Eshowe Rotary Club provides us with a wonderful insight into the impact and importance of this collaboration:
“Dear Bambisanani Partnership team,
KNITTED GARMENTS
I have pleasure in reporting to you, and the generous customers of Betty’s & Taylors Group through the ‘Cone Exchange’ initiative, who sent us several large cases of hand knitted woollens via St. Mary’s School and Cardinal Maritime for distribution to disadvantaged persons in the rural areas surrounding Eshowe in Zululand, South Africa. These are our winter months, and, while we do not experience winter extremes to the extent that you do in the United Kingdom, it does get pretty cold at times and most rural homes are not equipped for the cold or properly insulated. Your donation of woollen items reflects hundreds of hours of patient knitting by the people of Harrogate and we are quite humbled that they should have gone to this trouble and have their efforts coordinated by the staff of Betty’s & Taylors. While we have not completely finished the distribution, a substantial part has been completed and we would like you to have a selection of photographs of the recipients, both young and old. Included in the shipment were a number of small, knitted squares and we have enlisted the help of some local people to sew these squares together into blankets which are more practical.
You will see in the photos that food items were also distributed. You will have heard of the recent unrest, especially in Zululand, that has led to an increase in unemployment and a deterioration in food security. Rotary together with other organisations is trying to distribute as much food as possible to those in need, especially during these cold spells when rural households feel the deprivations more acutely.
Your collective effort has brought comfort and joy to many.
Kind regards,
”
Many thanks indeed to all the individuals and organisations involved who have enabled this to happen. Collectively we are all much stronger, and capable of so more, when we can work together as a team. We have a great team all round and long may that continue!
