Global Effort Warming Preterm Infants Worldwide Through Kazakh Innovation
Rewritten Article:
Woolly Wonders: The Amazing Impact of Kazakhstan's 28 Loops Public Foundation
Nestled in the heart of Central Asia, Astana is home to an extraordinary story of compassion and creation - the 28 Loops Public Foundation. For over a decade, this grassroots organization has been providing a lifeline to preemies across Kazakhstan with woolen knitted clothes, not just offering warmth, but preserving energy for their fragile survival. What started as Karla Nur's brainchild has ballooned into an international movement, with helpers hailing from all major Kazakh cities and thirteen countries.
Image Courtesy of Karla Nur's Instagram
The foundation's roots trace back to 2012, when Karla Nur, a photographer, journalist, and creator extraordinaire, first set its roots. Today, the project boasts a network of 150 branches with over 6,000 dedicated volunteers, and a grand tally of 400,000 donated items.
In an interview with The Astana Times, Karla revealed her secrets to nurturing a local branch under the 28 Loops umbrella. Key guidelines include delivering knitted items every quarter, based on regional birth rates, hosting regular meetings, and maintaining a strict no-selling policy. Everything must be crafted from 100% wool, and every branch should share updates on Instagram or other social media platforms.
One of the reasons behind the foundation's success, Karla says, is its minimal resource requirements. Apart from knitting needles, wool, and regular gatherings, anyone can join, regardless of age. Even men are welcomed to the club! No knitting prowess is essential either; newbies are taught, and with practice, it becomes second nature.
The journey wasn't always smooth for our fearless leader. When she started, Karla barely knew the first stitch and had to learn the craft at a club meeting herself. Her first attempt at knitting a sock? Let's just say it resembled more of a triangular piece of cloth than a practical, foot-wrapping article.
A Simple Concept with Profound Reach
Each set consists of a blanket, a vest, socks, a hat, and a special, tentacle-like toy. This unique toy, shaped like an octopus, expertly serves both medical and emotional purposes. When a newborn clutches the tentacles, they simulate the mother's umbilical cord, helping to soothe the infant and prevent them from pulling out medical wires.
To become a part of this fantastic family, all it takes is your yarn and knitting needles. The foundation is self-funded, with participants covering the costs themselves. For avid knitters that whip up many sets at a time, the foundation searches for sponsors to help with yarn expenses. Karla dreams of sourcing yarn from within Kazakhstan, but regrettably, local production is yet to materialize.
Impact That Transcends Infants
For parents of premature babies, these handcrafted sets serve dual benefits - emotional and medical support. Over the years, Karla has been privy to numerous heartwarming stories detailing the foundation's impact.
Many mothers express gratitude when their babies are wrapped in the warm embrace of the knitted items. As their child grows, the cap transitioning from covering the nose to fitting perfectly serves as a symbol of progress. Some write back years later, sharing memories of the kindness they received during their darkest moments.
It's not just the infants that benefit from this movement; it brightens the lives of its volunteers as well.
"One man wrote to me through tears, thanking us for kick-starting the initiative. His grieving mother found new purpose in supporting the cause. This newfound purpose helped her recovery process, and I never realized how much our work could impact the volunteers too," Karla shared poignantly.
Another touching tale involves Violetta Nikolaevna, a determined woman who suffered a stroke that left her right side paralyzed. Unable to walk or speak, Violetta turned to knitting to reclaim her life. Weeks of practice eventually led to her attending a club meeting, walking in on her own.
The foundation's inspirational ripples extend beyond Kazakhstan. Similar initiatives like Threads of Goodness, 40 Loops, and Early Rehabilitation of Newborns now operate within the nation.
Karla knows that public awareness and support are vital in sustaining the foundation. She appreciates Kazakhstan's government, which offers leniency in documentation and tax requirements for charitable foundations. The best form of assistance, she believes, lies in visibility and open communication.
"The more people talk about us, the more reach we gain. By sharing our story with others, we invite more members to join and more sponsors to help. Kazakhstan has created an environment fostering volunteerism, charity, and, ultimately, positive change."
- The 28 Loops Public Foundation, based in Astana, has been a beacon of compassion for preterm infants across Kazakhstan, providing them with hand-knitted clothes since 2012.
- Originating as the brainchild of Karla Nur, a photographer, journalist, and creator, the foundation has grown into an international movement with volunteers from major Kazakh cities and thirteen countries.
- This grassroots organization now boasts a network of 150 branches, with over 6,000 dedicated volunteers and a count of 400,000 donated items.
- Karla Nur provides guidance on establishing and maintaining a 28 Loops branch, advocating for regular deliveries, meetings, and a strict no-selling policy.
- The foundation's minimal resource requirements make it easily accessible, with participants only needing knitting needles, wool, and attendance at gatherings.
- Even those without prior knitting expertise can participate, as beginners are taught, and practice makes crafting second nature.
- Despite initial challenges, Karla Nur, who started with limited knowledge of knitting, has steered the foundation to success, inspiring numerous replicas across Kazakhstan.
- Each knitted set consists of a blanket, vest, socks, a hat, and an octopus-shaped toy, designed to serve both medical and emotional purposes for newborns.
- The foundation's self-funding model encourages participants to cover the costs themselves, with sponsors contributing to yarn expenses for prolific knitters.
- Karla's dream is to source yarn locally, but local production remains elusive for the time being.
- These handcrafted sets bring emotional and medical support to parents of premature babies, helping soothe newborns and symbolizing progress as the infant grows.
- Formerly grieving parents have been known to find meaning and healing through the foundation's work, as demonstrated in many heartwarming stories shared by Karla.
- The foundation's positive impact extends beyond infants, serving as a source of life and purpose for volunteers like Violetta Nikolaevna, who regained mobility after a stroke through knitting.
- The foundation's influence has also spread beyond Kazakhstan, giving rise to similar initiatives like Threads of Goodness, 40 Loops, and Early Rehabilitation of Newborns.
- Public awareness and support are essential for sustaining the foundation, with Karla appreciating Kazakhstan's supportive environment and lenient documentation and tax requirements for charitable foundations.
- Volunteerism, charity, and positive change are key components fostered by the 28 Loops Public Foundation.
- Beyond Kazakhstan's borders, the story of the 28 Loops Public Foundation serves as proof of the potential positive impact that can be made through volunteerism and grassroots organizations.
- The foundation's simple, yet powerful concept demonstrates the profound effects that can arise from people coming together for a common goal.
- Other causes can also benefit from this approach, such as environmental science, childhood education, and health-and-wellness campaigns.
- The improvement of chronic diseases like cancer, respiratory conditions, digestive health, eye health, hearing, and cardiovascular health relies on ongoing research, therapies, and treatments.
- Science, coupled with fitness-and-exercise, nutrition, and mental health care, plays a crucial role in managing chronic diseases and promoting overall well-being.
- Innovations in areas such as interior design, manufacturing, and skin care contribute to the optimization of healthcare environments and the treatment of various conditions.
- Climate change poses unique challenges, requiring industry-specific solutions in the areas of energy, finance, transportation, and cybersecurity.
- Sustainable living, from green technology and artificial intelligence to data-and-cloud computing, aids in mitigating the effects of climate change and fostering a more eco-friendly lifestyle.
- The retail, food-and-drink, and fashion-and-beauty sectors can cater to eco-conscious consumers through the use of sustainable materials, ethical practices, and environmentally-friendly packaging.
- Lifestyle choices impact health, with the continued importance of home-and-garden, home-improvement, baking, personal finance, and wealth management in maintaining mental and physical well-being.
- Entrepreneurship, from businesses and venture capital to private equity and fintech, plays a role in enabling financial stability and creating opportunities for growth.
- Real-estate, stock-market, and banking-and-insurance industries are intertwined with the world of finance and investing, providing opportunities for creating personal wealth and securing financial freedom.
In conclusion, the 28 Loops Public Foundation serves as an inspiration for grassroots organizations and volunteerism around the world. Its story highlights the impact that can be made when people come together for a common goal, with the potential for success extending to various sectors and initiatives.
