Its break time and for most students, a time to relax and catch up with friends but for a couple of the girls, its back to work on their latest creation
The girls are part of the Silikamva High School’s knitting club in Imizamu Yethu, where students are tapping into their creative skills to foster a sense of community as well as skills uplift, to benefit them against the diversity they constantly face
“Unfortunately many of the children don’t have the opportunity to be very creative or to have access to a lot of art materials and resources, so for me it was quite important that they knitting something and actually finish a product and they got something to show for it and they got something they proud of, so it’s really,” said Judi Kurgan, teacher/Silikamva High School.
Many kids there see the classes as an escape vehicle from a violence and gang activity in their neighborhoods, for them, knitting is soft and breaks their minds cycle of the hardships abound. The program has also managed to push aside gender stereotypes normally associated with knitting.
“They just took too it like a duck to water, we taught them how to knit, they girls were helping them learn how to knit and they’ve actually been some of our biggest produces and I’m hoping it’s going to spread to more boys the moment we just got a core group of them,” said Judi Kurgan, teacher/Silikamva High School.
“I enjoy it because I spend the time on my break, I have no worries, when I’m upset I take my knitting and take away all those worries that I have in my mind,” said one of the pupil.
“I think it’s creative and it also helps a lot too just like forget about bad thoughts if you having a bad day, you just knit and father about all the bad worries you have,” said one of the pupil.
The kids also plan to make something useful from their classes and with winter fast approaching, thick socks and scarfs are number on everyone’s list
The school’s knitting club has become so popular, that it’s constantly turning kids away, due to a lack of resources but they are hoping that the surrounding community will open their hearts and their wallets and give them some much-needed assistance.
