Six square km of blankets for Nelson Mandela Day

The massive 'combined blanket revealed in Gauteng. Photo: supplied

Yep, that’s right, six square km of blankets were made in support of the 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day initiative. Have a look…

The massive ‘combined blanket revealed in Gauteng. Photo: supplied

Blankets for the needy

South African non-profit organisation, 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, recently revealed their blanket display for 2022 and the results were phenomenal. Around 4,500 pieces of fabric were lovingly woven into blankets and laid side by side to create a massive six square kilometre blanket reveal.

Hand-made by the affectionately dubbed ‘KnitWits’, the multi-coloured knitted and crocheted pieces will soon find homes with South Africa’s needy as the winter months approach.

The initiative is also done in partnership with Gift of the Givers who will distribute the blankets to the needy ahead of winter. Other partners include Médicins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), Stuttaford Van Lines and the Nelson Mandela Foundation.

According to founder Carolyn Steyn, the huge, colourful ‘combined’ blanket that was laid out symbolises the resilience and irrepressible spirit of the South African people during a difficult two years of Covid-19 and lockdowns.

“This year, we look forward to honouring all our frontline workers, who have worked so tirelessly and selflessly through the pandemic,” she said.

How it came to be

The project was founded in December 2013 by Carolyn Steyn, after Zelda la Grange, the late former President Nelson Mandela’s assistant, presented her with a challenge: knit, sew or crochet 67 blankets for the needy to receive on Nelson Mandela Day.

Steyn, accepted the challenge, of course, and she called on her friends for a little help and created a Facebook group called “67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day”. In just a few days, hundreds of people from around the world had pledged to knit a blanket for Nelson Mandela Day.

You can read more about the initiative and learn how you can become a KnitWit here.

Check out the footage of the blanket reveal below:

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Sundeeka Mungroo

Sundeeka Mungroo is a content writer, foodie and all-round adventure-seeker. She's a graduate of the University of South Africa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, and has worked as a copywriter and editor in the digital marketing industry. Sundeeka currently writes for I Love South Africa and The South African. She lives in the beautiful Mother City and loves exploring all that South Africa has to offer.