June Toss n Tell – Uthando Dolls

“Touching hearts and bringing play to life” – Handmade dolls for the children of KwaZulu-Natal

This month we have some very special guests from the Uthando Doll Project. Uthando will be speaking about the project and leading us in a doll making & dressing session then creating jewellery and a shoulder bag for the dolls from our beautiful felt. The aim is to make as many of these dolls as we can – not just on the day but over the next few months then return them at the Christmas party in November when we will hand the family of dolls over to Uthando.

Who are Uthando and what do they do?

KwaZulu Natal (KZN) is home to one quarter of South Africa’s children. Two in every three of them live in poverty and 1.5 million are younger than six. The HIV and AIDS pandemic affects everyone, and the ravages of the pandemic increase the vulnerability of all children. Children need the loving care of at least one adult for optimal growth and development. When one in five children has already lost one or both parents to the AIDS, the care-giving capacity of families is stretched and at times overwhelmed. While nutritious food, clean water, shelter and education are essential for a child’s wellbeing, so is play. Play enables children to develop physically, intellectually, emotionally, socially and spiritually in a more robust way. Through play children have the opportunity to experience delight and to unleash their imagination. They may also express their grief and loss, and come to better understand things that trouble or confuse them. One grandmother may have up to a dozen children in her care, and some children live in child-headed households. Tired, grieving and overburdened caregivers sometimes need help to find a place in their day to day lives to support and join in their children’s play. To support this process, dollmakers around the world, provide handmade dolls, sewn or knitted, for the caregivers to give their children. Uthando is the isiZulu word for love. To support caregivers and their children in discovering the joys and the richness of play, Uthando Project distributes dolls in KwaZulu-Natal.

Bring your credit card as the doll kits & books are amazing – there will be extra doll bodies & kits available and they make great gifts for fellow creatives.

This is Feltwest’s charity event for the year – the combined sales and then the value of dolls should be a great contribution to this fantastic and worthwhile charity.