- charity project initiated by 2 german women living in kenya, africa

- young single mothers crochet angels in order to be able to buy food, pay for schooling and medical care for their children

see product sheets for more information

 about ‚angels for africa‘

project initiator christine rottland from germany says:

many of the young mothers in my neighbourhood, whom I encounter every day, are single mothers and as such hopeless underdogs of the extended families in which they live. they are left alone with insurmountable problem of bringing up and caring for their children. women without any formal education have no chance to obtain a paid job. the requests for help which reach me have a pattern which repeats itself: a young woman gets married and in the early years of her marriage gives birth to three or four children, after which the couple separates. the father of the children turns to another woman and lives with her. the abandoned wife returns to her parents' home, usually with all her children. there is no provision for help from the kenyan government.

another reason for the hopeless situation of the local population is the fact that so many people of the parent generation die. a request for help often comes from a mother whose husband has died. if a mother is unable to provide food for her children, her last resort is to distribute them among the extended family. when a young mother of five had come to us asking to help one of her severely ill sons, we first helped with private means from our family. this proved to be insufficient, since after the child had been operated upon it became clear that a long-term financial support would be necessary. as christmas was not far away, I began to design and to crotchet little angels and taught the mother of the child to do the same. at christmas our house in kenya was decorated with little angels with african faces. these were the modest beginnings of a successful project called "angels for africa". 

meanwhile, 43 women work in the project, and many more hope to get their chance. I try to help them in other ways as well, relieving urgent needs and opening pathways. nowadays the women work at home. we meet twice a week for payment (per piece, so that the women can set their own targets). during our meetings we plan the work of the coming week, exchange experiences, and report events in the family. I learn about mothers or children being sick and thus, if need arises, I can help immediately. at each of these days we share a meal.

within the project, which has run over more than five years, the working situation of the women has changed not only their living conditions but also their self-assurance.  this developed almost on its own, in an unspectacular way. the women can now cater for themselves and their children, keep hunger away, send their children to school, take them to a doctor if necessary, and even support relatives financially. For the first time in their lives they have a recognized function in the extended family.

after payment of wages and deduction of material costs, the remainder of the money obtained goes to Asante eV, mainly to finance the school lunch programme where 261 pupils (as by January 2008) receive a substantial lunch, rich with vitamins, every day.