Hooray! We are on the countdown to spring. It’s been a cold winter in most parts of the country and we have experienced the strangest of weather patterns. I know that the frost has been devastating, but if your garden was badly affected then you can at least look forward to the promise of a pest free spring and summer because any bugs that were overwintering amongst the plants will have succumbed to the cold. Please don’t be tempted to prune those plants that have been damaged by the severe cold. Yes, I know how hard it is to sit there, day after day, looking at the damaged foliage, but it is far better to wait until the danger of all frost is past and then prune. Trust me – the wait will be worth it.
Even when it’s bitterly cold, there are so many things that we can get involved in that will warm our hearts. I was very privileged recently to sit in this amazing, handcrafted chair and to add my dream to the dream book accompanying it. The chair, entitled ‘Dreams for Africa’, was created by crafters who are affiliated with the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, which has worked tirelessly in the field of HIV and AIDS for over 20 years. The chair, which is beautifully decorated with traditional beadwork, is being used to collect dreams and stories from South Africans and to create unity and a renewed sense of pride and purpose. The chair is also being used to raise money for the organisation’s craft centre, which assists over 300 crafters to earn an income.
You can dream with all those who have already been a part of the chair’s journey of love and hope, and you can help the dream continue for others. There are a number of ways to participate – you can host the chair and invite it into your company or home; you can make a donation to the Dreams for Africa project; buy a photograph, set of postcards or branded slide show; or you can help with sponsorship.
What an honour it was for me to be a small part of this; I urge you to participate too. Even the smallest of efforts or contributions will make a difference.
Happy gardening!
To be a part of ‘Dreams for Africa’ phone Paula Thomson or Claudia Krumhoff on 031 765 5866 or e-mail info@hillaids.org.za.
Visit these websites: www.hillaids.org.za and www.dreamsforafrica.org.za to learn more about the work of the Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust and this amazing project.
An exhibition of photographs recording the journey of the chair thus far takes place at the Durban Art Gallery from 21 July to the end of September 2010. Do treat yourself to a viewing – the photographs are both breathtaking and uplifting. The gallery is on the 2nd floor of the Durban City Hall (031 311 2264/9).