In March last year we wrote about 67 Blankets for Madiba Day, an incredible initiative started by Carolyn Steyn. The idea, first proposed by Zelda le Grange, PA to the late President Nelson Mandela, was to crochet 67 blankets in time for the 1st July 2014. The blankets would commemorate Mandela Day, a day that not only celebrates the Mandela legacy, but is also a call for all South Africans to work towards changing the world for the better. Carolyn put out a call on Facebook for people to contribute to the cause, by either making a blanket themselves, or donating wool so that this who couldn’t afford to, could also participate. The response on Facebook was unbelievable and within the space of a few months 67 Blankets became a global initiative!
On the 21st April this year the initiative, now an established NPO, broke the Guinness Record for the world’s largest blanket, by laying out the thousands of individual blankets that people had made, side by side, at the base of the Nelson Mandela statue at the Union Buildings in Pretoria. The blankets, totalling around 4000, will now be donated to impoverished families across South Africa who will be struggling to keep warm as the winter months approach. At a time in South Africa when people seem so divided it’s wonderful to witness such a strong sense of community and love for each other. Let’s hold onto the memory of Nelson Mandela and all the good that he stood for as we move forward in 2015.
Photograph courtesy of www.ecr.co.za.