Fundraising for Operation Onesie
As many of you are aware, my husband Matt is currently volunteering for an NGO in Kenya for 6 months. In December the girls and I will be going out to join him for almost a month and we are keen to help and do something that will really make a difference over there. As a family, we have chosen to support a project called Operation Onesie, which encourages safe childbirth in rural areas of western Kenya, by providing mothers with baby clothing when they visit their local clinics. Those of you with teenagers will probably be very familiar with the term 'Onesie' (do they ever get out of them at home?) but for others, 'Onesie' is simply the American term for babygrow or all-in-one suit. Onesies are provided for each of three prenatal visits, the delivery and one post-natal visit, and since the project began in June this year, these incentives have resulted in a big increase in safe deliveries.
The NGO that Matt is working for supports the clinics where Operation Onesie have been piloting their scheme so he has first hand experience and can vouch for the impact that it is having. We are planning to take literally hundreds of Onesies when we go over in December and we are raising money to buy them.
So, how can you help?
Please do come to the coffee morning to be held here at Blacksmiths Cottage from 9.30am until 1pm on Friday 7th December. (Raffle drawn at 12 noon) The address and directions can be found on the SalixArts website on the Where to find us page. As well as tea, coffee, cakes and other goodies, there will also be a card sale and raffle with wonderful willowy prizes, which you can see pictured below.
You could also bring (or send us) babygrows.They don't need to be new, just in good clean condition.
For those of you who knit, I also have a pattern for a woollen Onesie. It's actually more like a long jumper, but has been tried, tested and approved in Africa, so if you feel like getting out the needles during these long dark evenings, you can download the pattern as a pdf here PDF Knitting pattern for Operation Onesie. It's an easy knit, and doesn't take long.
And if you haven't yet been on one of our courses, this would be a lovely opportunity to come and have a look round, maybe chat to those who have, and get a better idea of what might be in store!
If you think you might be coming it'd be great if you could drop me a line - it'd be useful to know just how much baking to do! If you'd like to make cake (or similar) it will all be very welcome, and all for a very good cause! Likewise, if you have anything you'd like to donate to the raffle that will be gratefully received too.
And now more about that raffle - you do not have to attend the coffee morning to take part in the raffle. Tickets are priced at £1 each and you can purchase by emailing me (you can use the website feedback form on the contact us page to do this) and paying either by cheque (minimum purchase of 10 tickets - £10) or by paypal (no minimum purchase, but you will need to add 10% to cover the paypal charges, which on a fiver is the same as a second class stamp anyway!) Payment details will be sent by return email when you have requested your tickets.
First prize will be a voucher for a one day willow workshop of your choice,
Second prize will be a willow handbag (these currently retail for £85!)
Third prize will be a small round shopping basket, made entirely from locally grown organic willow
Fourth prize will be a plant support, again made entirely from locally grown organic willow (this prize will only be available to those present at the draw on the day - its way too big to post!)
And finally, please do pass this on this information to anyone who you think might be interested - the more the merrier, and of course it's all the better for the babies and mums of rural Western Kenya. See http://cjonline.com/life/2012-08-04/global-impact-made-onesie-time for an online article about Operation Onesie.