Bear Necessities aims to give a little something to the children of the local area who don't have much of their own.  The little something is a small knitted bear because it really is a necessity for everyone, no matter how big or small, to have something to call their own.

 

The project has been running since 2013 and is supported by a small team of knitters – some based here in South Africa, others in the UK and the US.  To date the project made visits to 10 local schools and crèches, seeing 315 Grade R and preschool children receive bears. In 2016 the bears were included in Christmas Shoeboxes along with some small essentials - a face cloth, toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, a small chocolate and packet of chips.  The shoeboxes were made possible by a number of local businesses and individuals and were packed and wrapped by a team of local supporters.

 

With the continued support of our knitters the project will continue to thrive and see the youngest learners in our area receive a knitted bear to call their own. 

 

There are several ways that you can get involved in the project:

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• Knit a bear! Visit the Bear Necessities Blog (http://abearisanecessity.blogspot.co.za/?m=1) to see the simple knitting pattern

• Donate towards postage costs.  The bears that come from international knitters often incur postage costs which need to be paid when they arrive in South Africa.  Click on Donate at the top of the page and remember to include “Bear” in your reference.

• Share the love! Share our blog and let people know what we’re up to!

 

Please get in touch with Friends of Chintsa for more information