SI Fremantle supporting the Uthando Project – Dollmaking Workshop – August 2011

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The club was contacted by the coordinator of The One Stop Shop in Fremantle and asked to run a dollmaking workshop for seniors in the Fremantle community, as part of the Positive Ageing Programme.

The One Stop Shop is a drop-in centre for seniors which offers information on activities available for them in the Fremantle area as well as regular activities such as knitting and gardening groups.

6 women enrolled in the workshops, which ran for 4 Fridays at the One Stop Shop in the centre of Fremantle. Each participant was provided with a kit to make a doll and a SI Fremantle member facilitated the workshops.

Costs were covered by the City of Fremantle and the facilitator fee was passed on to the Uthando Project, which sends the dolls to South Africa, to assist in their purchase of the fabric for the doll kits. Sales of the kits raise funds for the costs of shipping the dolls.
The workshops were extremely well-received. Participants all learned about the issue of AIDS in South Africa as well as the skills for dollmaking. They enjoyed the opportunity to develop their own creativity and were very proud of the dolls they produced. Friendships were formed and the women enjoyed the fellowship around the table. At least 2 of the women are keen to continue making dolls to send to the Uthando Project in the future and there is the possibility of a regular group developing at The One Stop Shop.