Clothing Project

Jesus’s words are such an inspiration to us: “I was naked and you clothed me.” However, this was not the only reason for starting this project, but also the lack of resources we saw at these people to be able to buy their own clothes. In Kalahari there are no vehicles available for them and no stores close by, only many miles away. The poor living conditions, the lack of access to clean running water and soap, which is a scarcity, created the constant need to distribute clothes. Thus, one can only imagine that clothing here wear out quickly.

Considering the two weather seasons in Africa, dry-cold and hot-rainy, we have to offer a variety of clothing: from thin clothes to very thick ones, including raincoats.

Clothing is distributed to all the Bushmen-land villages and to all the school children.

At least once a year clothing is provided for the entire mission-area. Because the locals know each other, our resources are divided evenly among the approximately 60 villages, thus avoiding generating dissatisfaction and disputes.

When it comes to school, you can’t educate someone who doesn’t even have elementary needs of their lives met. Therefore, clothes and shoes are offered to children who come to school at least 3 times a year.

“I was walking with another volunteer from the base near the school on the road to the church at Restcamp. Next to us, two little girls passed by, they were about 7 and 9 years old. They looked like they would be part of a theatrical play, playing the role of two African mothers with a child on their back wrapped in a cloth baby-carrier. They were very serious walking on the road. I stopped them and we started talking. They were playing like mother and child. The baby was actually a doll made out of rags, about the size of a real baby. They were very happy. We asked them to bring us to see the other dolls they made themselves out of the rags to have toys to play with. They were so small and so pretty! So much beauty in their simplicity! That’s all you can say…”

Precarious conditions made them creative. Worn clothes are turn into dolls.

Distributing cloth is an extremely large project, it involves a lot of energy and resources, but the reactions of the locals are worthwhile.