Focus In: Threads of Love

The Love Quilt Project (LQP) aims to meet the educational and emotional needs of children worldwide. Since beginning its mission in South Africa in 2011, it has helped underprivileged children gain access to adequate schooling, which continues to be a challenge faced by many South African communities. The country also has one of the highest rates of poverty, HIV/AIDS, and fetal alcohol syndrome, and many of these issues impact youth, leaving them orphaned or in foster care.

Without the proper tools to further their education, many children drop out of school, contributing to a cycle of poverty in which many underserved communities remain. LQP aims to help break this cycle by providing children with tuition, school supplies, uniforms, and internet access, along with other technology, to ensure they have the best chance at obtaining a quality education.

LQP recently began supporting American children living in foster care as well, addressing similar issues relating to educational resources and a lack of emotional support.

What Is a Love Quilt?
In addition to educational support, LQP ensures that each child receives the emotional support tool of a personalized Love Quilt—an embrace in fabric. These quilts, adorned with vibrant squares created by American schoolchildren and meticulously sewn together by dedicated partners and volunteer quilters, send a profound message: someone across the globe cares deeply for them and fervently hopes for their success.

In many cases, a Love Quilt may be the child’s only personal possession. The impact is palpable, often evoking overwhelming emotions in these children. Recognizing the significance of emotional well-being alongside educational requirements, the project fosters a nurturing environment where children can flourish holistically, offering them the space and support needed for their complete growth.

How to Participate
American children who take part in LQP receive a lesson about the historical and present-day challenges faced by South African children living in foster care and the importance of kindness and empathy. The project strongly believes in the power of creativity to teach, letting young minds explore and discover more about themselves.

In these lessons, children are encouraged to turn their newfound understanding into messages of love and hope on fabric squares, using their imaginations and fabric markers to create something truly special.

These squares are returned to LQP, where dedicated quilting volunteers stitch them into Love Quilts. When theyʼre complete, the quilts embark on a journey to various foster homes in South Africa and in America, where they are personally delivered to the children who await them, offering warmth and support in their time of need.

In return, each Love Quilt recipient receives a similar lesson and learns that there are children in the United States and South Africa who need their help. They, too, create messages of love for quilts that will be given to children in foster care.

To learn more about the project, contact lovequiltproject@gmail.com or visit lovequiltproject.org. Sign up using the form on our website or make a request via email. We will send you the lesson and fabric for the art squares for free. We ask that you provide the fabric markers.