Welcome to the Ghana Project/Key of Hope Ministries!

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This project is an on-going ministry, started in April, 2007 and still going strong. (9/15/2009) Just passed the 200 mark on finished afghans!

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April, 2009

We are now celebrating our SECOND YEAR in this ministry. To celebrate, I held a giveaway by putting all the names of anyone who contributed yarn, squares, or help to this ministry into a random number generator. The winners are:

PEG STARKOSKI & THE LADIES FROM SEACREST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH WIC, of Boynton Beach, Fla.! (to see their prize go to the section “Photos”. THANK YOU, ALL, again for all of your help towards this ministry!

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“And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 (NKJV)

This site is devoted to what I’ve called: “The Ghana Project”; a ministry to severely crippled children in Ghana who are about to undergo surgeries to correct their spinal disorders. Each year dedicated doctors, nurses, physical therapists and others make trips to Ghana to perform surgeries on these children. The patients do not pay anything, even the ones from Sierra Leone or Ethiopia, someone raises the money to transport them. Most of the patients from Ghana and the other countries have significant financial issues. My goal is to be able to give these children afghans which have been constructed from squares donated by many generous people who either knit or crochet. These afghans are constructed from 7 inch by 7 inch knitted or crocheted squares; 30 squares making up one afghan.

Key of Hope Ministry added: Oct., 2008 (see heading “Afghan Count” for a more detailed explanation).

Our first afghan recipient: Caleb (on the afghan); April, 2007, and (from left: the physical therapist, his Father, Brother, and Mother (click on photo to enlarge)

How This All Came About:

In March, 2007 my son and I visited his Scoliosis (Definition: “Scoliosis: a side-to-side curvature of the spine/ backbone”) doctor for a re-check. The head nurse, Bettye Wright, saw me knitting and said: “I’ve got a project for you!” She then proceeded to explain her involvement in a trip she and many other doctors, nurses and therapists make twice a year to Ghana. They go there to help young children through surgeries to correct severe spinal deformities. Her vision is to be able to give these children a blanket/afghan as a “Security Blanket” to ease them through the traumas of undergoing major surgery. These children come from various backgrounds but most travel many miles – they NEED something ’special/personal’ to cling to, hence the “Ghana Project”. Ms. Wright is one of the dedicated people who make this trip twice a year and she is willing to transport these afghans for us. She is part of the group who heads up the whole surgery project; please see their website for a better idea of this whole undertaking:

http://www.orthofocos.org

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Where do YOU Come into this Picture?

This project is a combination of various people’s knitted or crocheted efforts, sewn together into afghans which are given to these children as a love gift. If you can knit or crochet, we need you!

The Basic Directions:
Knit or crochet one, (or more) 7 inch by 7 inch square(s) of any yarns . (Personally, I use 4-ply acrylic and size 10 knitting needles, but whatever you are comfortable with is great.) Please leave at least a 14 inch ‘tail’ at the beginning and end of each square, as I will be using these to sew the squares together. A completed afghan measures 36″ X 50″ with crocheted border. Check out the section “Patterns-Knit Squares” in this blog for ideas on stitches and needle sizes.

When you have completed the square(s), please mail them to me at:

c/o “Grammie Pammie”

PO Box 430113

Pontiac, MI 48343

If you could send me a ‘heads up’ comment – (see “comment” square at bottom of this page) when you’re mailing squares, it would give me a ‘heads-up’ as to when to go to the Post Office to check the box. Your comments are forwarded to me in my personal email. Thanks!

I want to thank you, in advance, for your interest in this undertaking. I know that the children will be blessed with your help and I am thrilled to share this ministry with you.

Sincerely, In Christ;

The Very First Afghan Sent to Ghana!

8/1/08 Afghan #100!

Grammie Pammie

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PS: KEY OF HOPE:

October, 2008

Please see the heading:
“Afghan Count” for a thorough explanation of this new addition to my ministry. I am thrilled to be able to spread the blessing of these afghans to more needy children!

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3/16/08 Here is another patient, Hana, with one of our afghans

Below is a quote from an email I received from Bettye Wright, the head nurse who transports these afghans to Ghana for the project. She wrote:

“Thank you so much, you cannot know how much these afghans mean to these patients, especially the ones that come to Ghana from other countries, without parents or anything familiar, the language is different, the food is different and we are all strangers, and to have something to cuddle with, that is all theirs, is very special. When I took Hanna back to Ethiopia she traveled via Ethiopian airlines with hers, all of the flight attendants loved the story about you and your group. God will bless you richly for the service you are doing.”

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A few months ago I ran into a quote which I thought sums up how I feel about this whole project: “We are not asked to do all of God’s work in this world, just the work we CAN do.” (Mother Theresa). She put into words how I feel: I’m not a surgeon, a doctor, a nurse-I don’t have the abilities to help these severely crippled children, but I CAN do something I know how to do: knit afghans that just might comfort them during their infirmities and for that I thank the Lord. Thanks for being a part of this effort.

The Ghana Team left Nov. 4-18th, 2007; volunteer surgeons from Norway, Spain, India, Canary Islands, Italy and the USA went on this trip, along with volunteers from Michigan, New York, Virginia, and Norway. It’s wonderful to know that all of our completed afghans went along to bless hurting children who need a little something ‘homemade’ to comfort them. Once again, THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!

THIS DOES NOT MEAN “The Ghana Project” is done!
The project continues! These teams of surgeons, volunteers and others makes 2 trips a year to Ghana to perform these surgeries. This just means that we begin ‘another phase’ of creating more afghans for more needy, hurting children!

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November, 2007 shipment of 29 afghans:

click on photo to enlarge

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Latest count on completed afghans:

We now have sent a total of 79 afghans to Ghana! See the heading: “Afghan Count” for the current totals on completed afghans.

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1/02/09

51 afghans completed and sent to Durban S. Africa for the “Key of Hope” ministry.

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Filed under Basic Instructions, Charity Knitting, Durban, Ghana, South Africa, crochet, knitting, knitting stitches

Tags: afghans, AIDS, charity knitting/crochet, crochet, dishcloth patterns, Durban, Ethiopia, Ghana, knitting, S. Africa, Sierra Leone