for and by the community
In small groups the older women from Refilwe come to the Refilwe Orphan Care center. We call them the grannies. Today it is once again time for the craft class. They are looking forward to do practical work again this morning! This class is held every month on Wednesday mornings.
It is winter now, and we sit outside. During winter it is much too cold in the hall (without heating). After the women have chosen a chair in the sun, they form a cozy circle.
The conversations will probably be similar to a group of Dutch women at the knitting circle, but that is difficult to determine, because they speak in fast-paced Sepedi. Fortunately, almost all these women can speak Afrikaans quite well, so we communicate a lot in Afrikaans.
Although the class is officially supposed to start at 9 am, most people don’t start trickling in until around 9:30 am or a little later. When everyone is seated, we start with a Bible passage. The women take their Bibles from their crumpled plastic bags. Most Bibles are beautifully crocheted.
The opening is often in English, so it really is a mixture of languages this morning. One of the caregivers of Refilwe Orphan Care helps with the translation. However, some women are so fluent in English and Sepedi that they sometimes give her a helping hand.
After the opening, the plastic bags are opened further. “Who has new patches for the community?” Most women have neatly processed the ball they received last time into new squares measuring 20 by 20 centimeters. (Although there is quite a bit of variation in sizes...) They then receive a new assignment, something they can make for themselves. This time they can knit a shawl for the winter. Sometimes they make a wreath with fabric, or beautiful art works out of felt.
And when you look around, it looks just like a school class. Some women work hard and neatly. One stitch after another is crocheted or knitted. Other women mainly enjoy the pleasant atmosphere. Their mouths move faster than their hands. In the meantime, Gerda van de Kamp (member of the GGiN congregation in Silverton) is putting together all the pieces she received. She receives help from some of the wives of her Bethlehem colleagues. This way they create a new blanket for the community.
At the end of the pleasant morning, the date for the next class is announced and everyone goes home. Looking forward to next month: a new craft class for and by the community!
Lianne de Baat
