Get Knitting For A Good Cause
From Oxfam’s Knit To Fight Poverty campaign:
“Oxfam calls on Bristol knitters to make the mother of all blankets!
Oxfam is calling on Bristol knitting enthusiasts to demonstrate their purling power this summer by supporting its campaign to highlight the need for basic healthcare for mothers in poor countries.
One mother dies every minute in pregnancy or childbirth from preventable causes. That’s 1400 women every day! World leaders have promised to deliver aid to make this a thing of the past, but they are way behind on their targets.
Oxfam is appealing for volunteers to knit nine-inch squares for a giant baby blanket, which will be sewn together as a visual petition to protest about these shocking rates of maternal mortality. Each square will stand for a mother who should have lived to give her children a better future, if she had access to adequate medical care.
250,000 squares will be combined in ‘the mother of all blankets’ and presented to the UK Government in September, before world leaders meet in New York to discuss the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (one of these is to reduce maternal mortality by a third). After the giant blanket has been handed in, it will be dismantled and sold in Oxfam shops and at festivals, with the money raised going towards Oxfam’s work to fight poverty.
The campaign already has local support: knitting enthusiasts from the Bedminster Stitch and Bitch. Kate Pearce, who runs a knitting circle at the Tobacco Factory, is organising her own ‘Knit-In’ to contribute to the cause. Knitting enthusiasts are invited along to show their purling prowess and join the fun.
Bristol ‘Stitch and Bitch’ spokesperson Kate said: “When I heard about this campaign, I was just stunned – 1,400 women die every day! I wanted to do something positive and fun at the same time as helping to raise awareness of the plight of women in poorer countries, to show them they are not alone. This is about showing that we care and that we want our leaders to take strong action to push for healthcare in poorer countries.”
