Her commitment to children saw her fly to South Africa on Saturday where she will spend a month as a volunteer with African Impact working in the St Lucia AIDS orphanage.

Jill Dawson is the owner of a Bowral wool shop, Wool Addiction, who is also keen to do her bit to help underprivileged children.

Her business has become the Highlands distribution point for a jumper pattern used by people in the shire who are weaving their magic to help AIDS affected babies in South Africa as well as Mongolia and Papua New Guinea.

She is also helping to collect colourful jumpers and other donations to be forwarded on to the struggling youngsters.

Ms Dawson and Miss Reakes consider themselves only a “small part of impressive charitable effort” by many hundreds of people, in the Highlands and further afield, who were committed to supporting “fish and chips” babies in underprivileged countries.

Ms Dawson is quick to point out they are called fish and chips babies because the AIDS affected youngsters are sent home from the hospital, shortly after their birth, wrapped in newspaper because they have no clothes.

Miss Reakes said while her limited knitting skills had resulted in only a few jumpers and beanies, she hoped to assist struggling children in a more hands-on way as an orphanage volunteer.

She said she was inspired by the many people in the Highlands’ community who had rallied to support the knitting project.

“I’ve knitted about four jumpers but they took me months to make - I know some people who can make three jumpers in a day,” she said.

As far as Miss Reakes is concerned her key role has largely been to encourage more people to knit for the project.

She has also assisted with the collection of jumpers from people and delivered them to Wool Addiction.

For the full story see the Southern Highland News, Wednesday, November 26

jackie.meyers@ruralpress. com