petra: speaking of dolls... well, bears

Those handmade bears Team 4 took to the children this past December seem to have become quite well loved. Melissa posted this report and these photos on her blog the other day:

"Children in Uganda have very few (if any) store bought toys, especially in the villages. Most children, including the orphans at SMK, make their own toys. Banana fibers are used to make dolls, balls, jump ropes. Old bottle caps are used to make game pieces for checkers. Recycled wire and found bits of rubber are used to make cars.

This past December, Suzanne (one of the members of CTT’s Team 4) was able to secure a donation of stuffed teddy bears to be included in the younger children’s Christmas gift from CTT. These handmade bears were lovingly and individually made by Mother Bear Project. Volunteers were provided with the basic template, but the clothing, yarn color combinations and other embellishments made each bear unique.

About 180 bears made their way to Uganda, and each has been thoroughly loved!! Each bear was tagged with a small card sharing who lovingly made the bear. Petra named her bear baby after the person who sewed it, Sharon. Petra has carried Sharon everywhere on her back, like other mamas do in Uganda. Over the holidays, Petra and some of her friends spent literally hours giving their bears hair extensions. Now Petra lovingly brushes and decorates Sharon’s long hair.



Sharon stays with me at night, cause Petra fears that she will be lost otherwise. Other children have their bears displayed on their beds in the dormitory or tucked away in their cases. They have been an incredible source of enjoyment and security to so many orphans at SMK."

You can read my posts about the Mother Bear Project here and here.