Knitting Classes

Progress Update
Read the following update from Ms Jeanette Nolte, responsible for this amazing confidence boosting initiative.

From humble beginnings

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Evening Gentlemen, 

Trust you have all had a good rest over the last few days.  
For now this is a one way street so I will say, yes I did have a good weekend  (I take it you would ask the question if you were here),  we  held our Cancer Cup of Tea on Saturday, had plenty of guests, lots to eat and lots of goodies to raffle, made a lot of money for the Cancer Association of SA, but could have done better.

Knitting Classes:
Tuesday will be our last knitting class for this group of ladies as the next Tuesday we are hoping to have a small get together where we can further discuss  a few more ideas.  ( next Tuesday we are hoping to have a small party to thank the ladies who attended the class, for their discipline and loyalty to the programme and to the ladies who so kindly helped train the ladeis).

Last Tuesday just before close of day we all sat together and discussed the way forward. We all agreed that most of the ladies had now ‘mastered the art of knitting’ and were ready to continue on their own, but we were not going to just leave them and walk away.
Incidentally some of the ladies had already bought  wool and needles and were knitting at home, these knitted garments will be displayed at next week’s get together.

I have identified two ladies:
Fitchet’s Corner – Mrs Thembeka Jacobs.
Shamrock – Lindeka Jacobs.

These two ladies get along with all the other ladies and are considered to be ‘leaders’ .
So now the programme would be.

That Ms Jacobs and Lindeka Jacobs continue helping  the ladies  (who had attended the classes) with their knitting at a house in each community.
That once a week or perhaps every second week I would travel to Fitchet’s Corner and Shamrock and meet with the two leaders and as many of the other ladies to see what progress has been made.
However to enable the ladies to continue with their knitting there would be a proposal made to the Africa Foundation to assist with balls of wool until such time as the ladies had   established a good stock of  knitted goods, these goods would then be sold (now that still has to be sorted out).

That the two leaders would also make themselves available to any ‘new learners’ in their respective communities, and teach them how to knit.
By doing this you actually are giving over to the two leaders a great deal of responsibility, which is what I strive for, one cannot always hold a person’s hand when crossing the street, that people  must learn to cross the street on their own, thereby instilling  confidence and a much better chance of success.
I don’t think that this is premature, I think the time is right, we as trainers have unveiled a talent that they did not know existed.

It is time for them to continue on their own, they must not just be  told to get on with the knitting, but that I also remain part of their team and  where my visits to the two communities would be  essential, to encourage and see where there is progress.

That is how I see the way forward for these ladies and believe together all of these ladies make a terrific team.

So like everything else in life I have to have approval of this proposal so that next Tuesday I can assure them that our relationship does not end now but will continue.

Take care and have a great week.
Jeanette L Nolte