March 27, 2020
March 2015
The Africa Quilt Project (AQP) started in April 2013 when a friend, Ann, told me about her planned return visit to Uganda. Ann talked about her work as a doctor there in the hospice in Kagando, and mentioned that there was also an orphanage there. We discussed whether the orphanage would like us to send some quilts. We decided that Ann would take just two quilts and show them what a quilt looked like. It turned out that a church was already supplying the orphanage with quilts but Ann’s work in the hospice and community opened up other areas of need. So one of the first two quilts went to the lady in the photo. She has nothing in the world except a mud hut and an old iron chair. As she is very thin she used the quilt to line her chair!!
The lady in the picture above has no family so even though she is very poor she had decided to take in 6 orphaned children and look after them so in February 2014 Ann returned to Uganda and we sent 9 quilts out for her as we thought she might have adopted more than 6 children. She had, and this is a picture of some of the children in their home.
At the hospice there are many small babies so some of our small quilts were used for the babies to lie on in their cribs /incubators. Ann goes out to Uganda about twice a year and next time we are hoping to send more small incubator- size quilts for the hospice. We will continue to support this work in the future.
South Africa - August 2013
We had hoped to send 30 quilts out to a school called the Trinity Christian Centre in Cape Town but we have still been unable to find anyone who can take them for us so this project is on hold. However we sent 5 quilts and a number of knitted blankets out to South Africa with a minister and his wife who have a large number of Malawian refugees who have nothing when they arrive at their church.
Ethiopia - The Deaf School in Nekemte
January 2014
I have met a lady, Jenny, who lives in Chichester who setup a school for deaf children in Ethiopia. She has worked in Ethiopia for 25 years and is now home and retired. However she does go back to the school regularly and so last January we sent 22 quilts out for the new children who were just starting. As these 7-8 year olds arrived there was a quilt on each bed for each of them. As you can see the quilts are far too small but Jenny has just returned and she said the quilts were very much in evidence in the school and were very much loved by the children. She plans to go out again in May 2015 so we will send as many quilts as she can carry. The school has really expanded and there are now 135 children in the school!! I think it would be a good idea to try to send quilts out until the whole school has one each! Too many do you think?? This quilt will be their only possession!
Chad - Refuge for vulnerable women and their children
February 2014
5 quilts were sent out to see if there was a need for more. Photos are not allowed for obvious reasons but warm thanks were sent back to us from the lady who runs the Refuge.
Kenya - Orphanage
September 2014
We sent out 20 quilts with a man, Eddy, who has helped to build up a community centre for children in Kenya. There is an orphanage and a home for tiny babies too. We received the following email from my contact here in the UK.
“As you can see the children have a set of clothes usually donated so that they can attend the local school. Without this they would not gain the highly prized education to which they all aspire.
The quilts will provide warmth and comfort as the temperature drops greatly during the night at this high altitude. Fr. Pat said that half the quilts would go to the children in the photograph and this would give them something of their own to treasure he also said that the children were happy to share.
The remaining half was carried like coloured banners to the nuns running the baby orphanage (all part of The Yellowmen complex). He was quite upset when he told me that 52 newborn babies had been 'left' outside the orphanage door in recent months. The nuns did not have much in which to wrap or cover these little ones.”
We are planning to send both small sheets and tiny quilts out for the babies being cared for in this community in Kenya. This will be in September 2015.
Our vision for AQP is to get a quilt into every country in sub-Saharan Africa!! We have decided to call the quilts ’DorcasQuilts’. Dorcas was a godly lady in the Bible who made bed linen so we thought this was an appropriate name so each quilt has a label on it saying “Made especially for you by Dorcas Quilts”
We have decided to call the quilts ’DorcasQuilts’. Dorcas was a godly lady in the Bible who made bed linen so we thought this was an appropriate name so each quilt has a label on it saying “Made especially for you by Dorcas Quilts”
The quilts go mainly to Christian communities/orphanages and they only go with people who I know are physically carrying the quilts with them and will deliver them to the children themselves. I did not want the quilts to be sent in a container or in the post in case they were lost en route.
Since the AQP started I have been amazed at the help I have received from all over the UK. The local Project Linus gave us a good number which helped to get started. We have a group of quilters in Glasgow who send us beautiful quilts each year. Friends in Kent and Chichester have given fabric and support. Special thanks too especially to a group of quilters in N. Hampshire who have donated a large amount of beautiful fabric for us to work with.
Projects/needs for 2015
Local Women’s Refuge
I have recently contacted a Women’s Refuge. They have 6 beds only so we thought it would be good to supply them with a quilt for each bed. The clients move on quite quickly so we have suggested that they can take the quilt with them if they wish. Some will go to flats which are unfurnished so we thought that one of our quilts may help to cheer their new homes up a little. Although this is not Africa our group thought it would be really good to help those in need here in the UK. If you would like your quilt to go to Africa rather than to our UK projects then please let me know and they will be earmarked for Africa only.
Zambia - April 2015
A young couple in our church have settled in Zambia and were interested in taking some quilts back in April. However I have not heard from them since they went back so I am not sure if they are still interested.
Malawi - May 2015
In May a young couple from my church will be returning to Malawi and are able to take some quilts back with them to their friend who runs an orphanage.
Ethiopia - May 2015
As mentioned earlier Jenny will be returning to the deaf school in May 2015 so would love to take some with her for the new children.
So we have a busy time of sewing ahead! I just would like to say how grateful I am to everyone who has made a quilt or donated fabric for the Africa Quilt Project. We could not bring this joy to the many children and adults who have received the quilts without your help.
Many thanks
Dot Poulsom
