Last February, our Norwegian member Kirkens Bymisjon (Church City Mission Oslo) launched an ambitious initiative to address homelessness and social exclusion in Trondheim (NO).
A large public call for crochet blocks was opened in town, in order to give KB visitors a chance to saw and sell them as a concrete alternative to begging. The response was overwhelming. Within the next few weeks, a huge amount of blocks was sent to the local Kirkens Bymisjon branch by private citizen, schools, and many other organisations.
The initiative, part of the Workroom Project in Trondheim, has been so far a great success. KB visitors, including some refugees, has been given the opportunity to learn to knit beyond the basics with the help of several volunteers. Over 40 crocheted blankets have been created, and 20 of them have been already sold.
The project is aimed not only at giving homeless and refugees a chance to earn some money, but more importantly, at teaching them new skills to create their own business.
Find out more about the project here (NO).
Photo:Tove Aagaard / Adresseavisen