Simple, free patterns to bring comfort and fun to children in poverty

It's Blog Action Day 2008, and we're blogging about poverty. As this is a crafty blog, I'm posting some links to simple doll-making projects for those who sew and knit, or would like to start! Here are two projects to make dolls for African children living in extreme poverty.


Dolls? Yes, dolls, because play and comfort are essential for healthy development. And it's something that many of us have the skills and (let's face it, fabric hoarders!) materials to give.

Dolls can be sorted into three groups: decorative, comfort and expressive play, each with its value. The African AIDS Project has found that its African orphans get enormous comfort from having a small doll of their very own. Jessie Sutton has kindly provided a free, simple knitting pattern for the doll pictured to the left. The pattern is available here: http://bellgirl.com.au/2008/09/pattern-share-some-more-dolly-love.html

The Uthando ('Love') Project provides to promote expressive play, which is essential for healthy development. Your doll could be a child's first toy, shared by the whole family. I've posted about it here: http://bellgirl.com.au/2008/09/make-doll-for-child-in-need.html

and you can visit the project site and find free patterns to make and send here: http://www.uthandoproject.org/ Take a look at their gallery of African animal dolls too!

http://blogactionday.org/