January 2008 Baby Pack Drive at AC4C

Details for January Project:

Goal is 90 completed Baby Packs. They typically give out about thirty packs per month, so this would give them three months' worth.

Needs:
Diapers (flat single layer, cotton or terrycloth, about 30x30), as many as possible
Diaper pins as many as possible
Baby sweater or cardigan 90 (45 girl, 45 boy)
Waterproof diaper cover 90
Bib 90
T-shirt or onesie 90
Booties 90
Receiving blanket (45x45, flannel) 90
Baby afghan 90
Knitted, sewn or crocheted animal 90
Bonnet or hat 90


Themes:
African animals and birds (there are no tigers in Africa, except in the zoo!)
Lion, leopard, cheetah (goldy-yellow and brown, yellow with black spots)
Giraffe (light brown/beige with darker brown patches)
Zebra
Elephant
Crocodile (alligator works for this one)
Rhino
Hippopotamus
Monkey
Baboon


Flag colours (solid colors to mix and match)
Sleepers with different color arms, legs, cuffs, etc would work great
Red
Blue
Yellow
Black
White
Green

Ethnic/African colors/themes
Black and brown
Orange/green/white
Mudcloth black/white abstract
Adinkra symbols
Kwanzaa symbols (Kwanzaa is a purely American holiday, but the symbols are good)
Beige and brown
Bright ethnic prints
Shields

Baby Pastels
Pink
Blue
Lavender
Mint
Yellow
Peach/pale orange
Beige
Aqua
White

Brights
Yellow
Orange
Fuchsia
Purple
Green
Red
Blue
Turquoise
Violet

Celestial
Moon/stars
Sun
Clouds
Planets

Animals/bugs,birds
Sheep
Bears
Frogs
Lizards
Lambs
Cows
Ladybug
Butterfly
Dragonfly

Transportation
Cars
Boats
Fire engines
Planes
Rocket ships

Wet!
Blue
Water
Fish
Dolphin
Whale
Sharks
Boats
Nautical (sailor suit, for example, or middy type sweater)

Sweet
Hearts
Love
Candy
Cake (Arlene’s cupcake hat for example)
Cookies
chocolate

Funky modern
Aqua/chocolate
Black/pink
Camouflage
Pink/brown
Purple/orange
Pink/orange
Black/white

Sports
Soccer
Rugby (football prints would work) South Africa won the Rugby World Cup in 2007!
Cricket (those of you in the UK or Australia know what this is)
Surfing (best surfing beaches in the world are in South Africa)
Athletics
Sailing

This should give you plenty of ideas!

The items will be shipped together via surface cargo, probably in late February or early March.

Special Request:

Local schoolteachers asked Val for help in providing underwear to little girls who came to school without any, being unable to afford even such basic items. Let’s have a special drive for these little girls.
Goal
90 pairs of panties (good coverage, not bikini type)
Ages 4-16

We will also be collecting underwear for boys, ages 4-16. Much debate on AC4C about boxers vs briefs. Any type will be gratefully received.
Goal 90 pairs

Extras
They will also find good homes for clothing for older babies and toddlers, gently used are fine.

Siyabonga (Zulu for Thank you) for helping the little Zulu babies

All Crafts 4 Charity and Ravelry

Hello, and welcome to those of you who have found your way here from AC4C or from Ravelry. Please look around for some information about the Baby Pack. There are lots of links to patterns; check the side bar to get there quickly. With regard to fibers and yarns, please remember that the recipients of the packs do not have access to washing machines or dryers. The clothing may be washed in a river or pond, or under a cold water pump. Synthetics or blends are likely to dry faster in the subtropical climate than wool. Cotton would be nice, and breathable, too.

The contributions are starting to arrive. Some of them will go with me in my luggage on my upcoming trip to South Africa. Val Bailey, who coordinates the project, will be taking me to visit some of the clinics receiving the Baby Packs. I'll post lots of pictures, hopefully from South Africa, if the bandwidth permits.

Please leave a comment or suggestion; I'm always looking for new patterns and ideas.

Ubuntu

Umuntu is the Zulu word for person, and bantu refers to people. The indigenous peoples of Southern Africa are Bantu tribes. There is a Zulu concept or philosophy of social responsibility that is exemplified by the traditional saying:

Umuntu ngumuntu ngabantu

Which translated means "a person is a person through other people." The concept goes much deeper than that, however. Desmond Tutu, the former Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town, and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has summed it up like this:
"Ubuntu is very difficult to render into a Western language. When we want to give high praise to someone we say, "Yu u nobuntu"; "Hey, so-and-so has ubuntu." Then you are generous, you are hospitable, you are friendly and caring and compassionate. You share what you have. It is to say, "My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in what is yours." ......... We say, "A person is a person through other persons." ..........A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed............What dehumanizes you inexorably dehumanizes me."

In helping the people who benefit from the Baby Pack Project, we participate in the spirit of Ubuntu, and contribute to the common good. We become part of the connectedness of humankind. For someone to say of us that we have Ubuntu is something to which we can aspire.

Suggested colors

South African flag : South Africans refer to themselves as the Rainbow Nation, and the flag certainly exemplifies this.

Zulu beadwork is very colorful and symbolic.

The following and more can be found at:

http://www.marques.co.za/clients/zulu/

Meaning of colors are as follows:

(negative symbolism in parentheses)

• White: spiritual love, purity
• Red: Physical love, strong emotion (heartache, impatience)
• Pink: High birth or rank, an oath or promise (poverty, laziness)
• Green: Domestic bliss (Illness, discord)
• Yellow: Wealth, a garden, industry, fertility (Thirst, badness, withering away)
• Blue: Fidelity, a request (ill feeling, hostility)
• Black: Marriage, regeneration (Sorrow, despair, death)

Young Zulu maiden wearing traditional beadwork:

Sports teams
Soccer:
Amazulu: Green or white (all green or all white)
Golden Arrows: Green and yellow (Yellow top, green bottom, or green top yellow bottom)
Maritzburg United: Blue and White or red and white
Rugby:
Sharks: Gray and black or yellow and black
Local Produce
Bananas, Pineapple, sugar cane, papayas, citrus fruits, mango

Local Wildlife
Elephants, leopards, cheetahs, hippos, crocodile, rhino, zebra, antelope, baboon, monkeys

Crochet pattern suggestions

Yarn suggestions:
Avoid wool, it won't dry easily in the humid climate. Synthetics, cotton, or bamboo would work well
Hat/ Bonnets
Baby Derby
Adriafil Formentera
Noodle Baby hat
Adriafil Giava
Bernat Hat and Booties
Bernat Toque
Coats and Clark Froggy hat

Booties
Abominable Baby Slippers
little feet
Socks with afterthought heel
Baby sock
Bunny booties
Bernat Booties and Bibs

Sweaters/Cardigans
Baby it's Cold Outside
Bernat cardigan
Bernat Hoodie
Caron SS Baby jacket
Baby ensemble
Caron Bright Baby Hoodie
Coats and Clark Toddler Set
Coats and Clark Baby jacket
Coats and Clark First Love set
Coats and Clark hat and cardigan
Coats and Clark Cute as a Button
Coats and Clark Elfin Stripes
Coats and Clark Pretty Baby
Coats and Clark Naptime
Coats and Clark Sunny Outing
Afghans
Field of flowers

Toys
Baby Dolls
Twinkle twinkle moon and star
Amigurumi eel
Rose Tyler doll
Doctor Who doll
Drops Dress, hat and bag (British terminology)
Uthando crocheted doll
Crocheted crib toys
Crocheted Rainbow mobile
Other
Infant jogging suit

Diapers for Baby Pack

The Baby Pack has a great need for simple cloth diapers. Single layer, about 25 to 30 inch square cotton flannel, terry or birdseye type.
Old towels would work fine as a source of terry cloth.
Fitted or all-in-ones would not work as they would not dry easily, and would become mildewed.

Thanks for helping out.

Zulu Phrases

Some Zulu phrases and words; could be embroidered, sewn, knitted, on items to personalize them

Sawubona Hello, good morning etc ( to one person)
Hamba kahle Go well (saying goodbye to someone leaving you)
Sala kahle Stay well (Saying goodbye to someone you are leaving)
Lala Kahle Sleep well
Ubisi Milk
Umfana boy
Intombazane girl
Intombi young lady
Isipho gift
Babazeka beautiful
-mnandi sweet (eg intombazanemnandi sweet girl)
Uthando love
Ikhaya home
Injabulo happiness
Ingane baby, child
Usana newborn
Igugu precious
Ukuthula quiet
Duduza comfort
Isimomo beautiful girl
Insizwa young man
Imbube lion
Ukudla food
Amanzi water
Inhlanzi fish
Ingwenya crocodile
Izenze flea

Knit pattern suggestions

Yarn types suitable would be synthetics, cotton or bamboo. Anything that wears well and dries quickly in a humid climate; wool may mildew before it can dry out,

Anything from P2 . Fabulous site with tons of beautiful patterns. Thanks, P2.
http://www.p2designs.com/Links-CharityPatterns.htm

Or Bev’s Country Cottage:
Many, many patterns gathered from all over. We appreciate you, Bev.
http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/

Hats
Sweet Baby Cap
Viking Hat
Ruffled Baby Hat
Cupcake Hat
Pineapple Hat
Bunny Beanie
Drops designs Hat, scarf and mittens
Christmas Pudding Hat
Erssies Easy Beanies
Feather and fan hat
Toque to match Berry sweater
Stegosaurus hat
Chevron Lace hat
Beatrix hat
Lamb's Pride hat
A Little Hat
Latrodectus (funky spider) hat
Booties
Cute Converse booties
Converse #2
Saartjes bootees
RuthBooties2.
Lace booties to match Bev's hat
XOXOsocks
Ruby
Pirate booties
Knitty Gritty Suede booties
Booties to match Berry Sweater
Bunny booties
Lace up booties
Renaissance booties
Sweaters
Offset Wraplan
Super natural stripes
Baby Om
LettermanStyleBabyCardi
Eyelet baby cardigan
Sorbet Sweater
Wee Pocketed Cardigan
Hanna
Mossy Jacket
Peach Blossom Jacket
Middy top
Bunny Hop Baby Ruffle
KnitList Baby Coat
Sock Yarn Set
Caron Baby Caftan
Jimmy Bean's sweater set
Moss stitch jacket
Little tux
Berries and cream sweater
Tied Shrug
Baby shrug
Basic Baby Sweater
Top Down cardigan
Berroco Pie Garter stitch kimono

Toys/Bears/Dolls
Teddies for tragedies worked in the round
Inchworm
Bear

Norberta Dragon
Amy Doll
Garter stitch elephant
Bliss's dolly
Monkey
Lola Bunny
Lucy the Lamb
Guinea Pigs
Molly the Mouse
Bobbles the Clown
Little Dudes
Noah's Ark
Baby blanketBear and Blanket
Bear Family
Teddy ( may not be best for baby)
Uthando knitted doll
Afghans
Blanket and Bear
Cielo Baby blanket
Houndstooth blanket
Honeycomb blanket
Sunny Blanket

Other
Bib Overalls
Baby Bell Bottoms
Baby blue jeans

Starting Out

Mont-aux-Sources in the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg Mountains:

Having joined AC4C (All Crafts 4 Charity) on Yahoo groups, and seen what a wonderful group of kindhearted people could do when they work for a common goal, I asked the group to consider taking on the Baby Pack Project in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. This blog is a way to get the information out to a larger group of people, and supply ideas and suggestions for things to make and send.

http://www.freewebs.com/babypackproject/index.htm

From the website:

The Baby Pack Project is a small charitable project aimed at providing under-privileged mothers of newborn babies on the lower south coast of Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa, with a pack of the most basic items needed for a new born baby. The Baby Pack Project came about in 2005 when local lady Gill Richardson, saw newborn babies leave Ntabeni clinic in Kwa Zulu Natal wrapped in newspaper because the mothers had nothing else to wrap them in. The Baby Pack Project has grown out of that small seed of compassion sown by Gill back in 2005.

Each pack contains:

a flat cloth nappy (diaper) and pin
a waterproof (vinyl baby pants)
a jumper (sweater or cardigan)
a baby gro (sleeper)
a bib
a vest
booties or socks
a blanket
soap
a little knitted toy

Please consider helping this cause, and send items to:

Baby Pack Project
c/o Val Bailey,
Box 654,
Shelly Beach, 4265,
South Africa