KABUL – Pediatric patients at Gandhi Children’s Hospital in Kabul had their day brightened, Jan. 28, with 48 handmade blankets in every color of the rainbow - including one crocheted as a rainbow- donated by members of the Camp Eggers’ Afghans for Afghans in Afghanistan.
The children’s hospital is the first of many planned donations by Afghans for Afghans in Afghanistan, which specializes in making Afghan blankets, since being founded this past June. The crochet club started with U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. Constance Spotts and Dept. of Defense civilian Donna Shropshire when the two avid crocheters met after arriving at Camp Eggers.
“When I pulled a ball of yarn out of my sea bags, she was like ‘you’re a crocheter too,’” Spotts recalled of meeting Shropshire. “[It was an] instant friendship, instant comradery.”
The women worked with the Camp Eggers’ MWR office to develop and promote the idea of starting a club where anyone interested could escape the stressors of being in a combat zone, learn or develop their crochet skills and provide a service to others with handmade blankets.
“We’re still wearing our weapons but we forget where we are for that hour to two hours,” expressed Spotts. “The relaxation is something beyond the work and 12 hour days that I think has helped a lot of ladies … It’s a time away, it’s an escape.”
At one point, 17 crocheters gathered together in a conference room on base to swap crochet designs and help each other with projects. Members are not required to make blankets for donations. According to Spotts and Shropshire, the focus is on people coming out and relaxing through a creative activity.
“This has truly helped me get through this deployment because I shoot to finish projects,” explained Shropshire. “I finish one project and a month goes by then I finish another and another month goes by…I have enjoyed every moment of [the crochet club].”
According to Spotts, a small Afghan blanket can take anywhere from a week or two to a little over a month to complete. When the club reached around 40 Afghans for donation, they started actively looking for a place that could use the colorful blankets.
Linguist Sara Ramsey, a knitter who joined the club to learn crocheting and help others, assisted Spotts in locating and contacting a hospital that could use the blankets.
“I thought it would be a good place,” explained Ramsey about the hospital that was chosen for the donation.
Ramsey commented that talking to the doctors and children during the visit left a lasting impression on her.
“[The doctor] told me it was not just the blankets but our time that was appreciated, that [the visit] came from the heart,” remembered Ramsey. “The last room we went in, I asked the boy which color he wanted and he was so happy.”
Leanna Dagley, an accountant for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and crochet club a member since the club started, appreciated the opportunity to hand out blankets she made during her deployment.
“I’m glad we were able to hand the blankets directly to the patients,” said Dagley. “It provided great gratification to know that our work will benefit those who need it.”
With over 20 years of crochet experience, Dagley said the meetings provided her the opportunity to make new friends.
“The club has introduced me to friends that I would not have otherwise met,” said Dagley. “I love to sit around and visit with them.”
Dagley will take over Afghans for Afghans in Afghanistan because Shropshire recently redeployed home and Spotts will leave shortly to head back to the states.
“I highly recommend the club to others and invite anyone, whether they can crochet or not, to at least come one time and see what they think,” Dagley said. “My husband always says ‘you don’t know ‘til you go.’”
NTM-A is a coalition of 37 troop-contributing nations charged with assisting the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in generating a capable and sustainable Afghan National Security Force ready to take lead of their country's security by 2014. For more information about NTM-A, visit www.ntm-a.com