Will You Help Mary Name Her Babies?

Sitting quietly in her sun-drenched family room Mary Uthe knits….and she knits….and she knits. Why is Mary knitting so fervently? On a mission, Mary’s story offers both a simple message of love while illustrating the amazing interconnectedness we all share. It truly leaves one feeling that it does only take “a single idea, a single action to move the world.”

The Connection

Mary has been a long-time patient of local Cedar Rapids optometrist, Dr. DeAnn Fitzgerald. While in her office for a routine eye exam in the summer of 2007, Mary noticed a lone postcard at the reception desk. It described an upcoming wine tasting fundraiser event to benefit Dr. Fitzgerald’s newly founded non-profit organization, Spanda Inc. Dr. Fitzgerald would be returning to KipKarin, Kenya, to help build an eye and health care clinic. Spanda Inc. was founded to combine Dr. Fitzgerald’s passion for optometry with other health care professions to improve the lives of all regardless of personal situation throughout the world community. Mary and her husband, Jack, attended the event in which Mary describes as “awe-inspiring” to be surrounded by individuals so passionate and enthusiastic about helping the KipKarin people realize their dream of having a village-operated health care clinic.

Later that year, Mary, along with her sister-in-law, made a trip to the New England States to enjoy the fall colors. While vacationing, she visited a local yarn shop. Her eyes were immediately drawn to a basket filled with colorful, hand-knitted dolls. Mary recalls feeling overwhelmed with how cute and special the dolls looked. When she went to purchase one, however, there was no price tag. The store owner explained these were special babies called “Duduza (Comfort) Dolls”. They were created by an organization, Children In Distress Network International (CIDNI). Knitters throughout the United States and the United Kingdom were knitting these dolls with the sole purpose of giving them to African children affected by HIV/AIDS. The store owner gave Mary a web address where she could obtain the pattern to make dolls with the promise that the dolls would not be made for private profit. Upon her return to Cedar Rapids, Mary read the CIDNI story and immediately thought of Dr. Fitzgerald and Spanda Inc.

At the same time, Dr. Fitzgerald had been researching “Ready-To-Use-Therapeutic Foods” (RUTF) to stave off the effects of severe childhood malnutrition. Most concerning was the recent drought affecting the Kenyan people—resulting in the loss of grazing pastures for their cattle and goats. Over a quarter of all children living in the area served by the Kenyan clinic had become victims of malnutrition.

The RUTF is a peanut-based product enriched with vitamins and minerals. It does not require water to manufacture nor refrigeration and has a shelf life of two years. When given to a child, twice daily, for four weeks, it can restore the child to near normal weight. True to her philosophy of “wouldn’t you do whatever you could to help a child” Dr. Fitzgerald set out to discover how this food product could be introduced to this region of Kenya.

300 Babies Are Born

Within days of her return, Mary called Dr. Fitzgerald to tell her about the dolls and to see if she would like to take some with her during her next mission trip. This is where great ideas between two dynamic individuals are launched. Not only would the 300 children living in the two orphanages served by the KipKarin clinic receive a doll, but the dolls would become the major fundraising tool to introduce RUTF to the area. For an adoption fee of $35, the donor would be given the special honor of supplying a malnourished child with a month’s supply of RUTF as well as giving a child in the orphanage a doll of comfort!

The Knitting Continues

At the time of this article, 265 dolls have been hand crafted by Mary. Using the softest of yarns, each doll is unique. All are knitted with love, given a kiss upon their completion by Mary, and blessed with this message of hope---“Somebody out there believes you are special!”

Mary is also pleased to report that her “community of knitters” has grown. As more people learn of her endeavors, she is receiving the support of fellow knitters throughout Cedar Rapids.

Would You Like To Help?

The need for RUTF will be on-going. Spanda Inc.’s long-term goal is to help over 10,000 malnourished children in this region. Presently, discussions are being held with a distributor of the product to ensure sustainability.

We need your help to realize this dream. If you would like to adopt and name one of “Mary’s Babies”, please contact us at spandainc@yahoo.com. You will receive an adoption certificate and, upon our return from Africa, a picture of the child receiving the doll you have adopted.

The $35 adoption fee will provide a Kenyan child with a month’s supply of RUTF, which will help restore the child to a near normal weight.

Through your donor efforts, Mary’s knitting, Dr. Fitzgerald’s vision, and the volunteer work of many others—it really does only take a single idea, a single action to move the world! Won’t you be a part?