A QUILT CAN keep you warm. But it can also provide spiritual support for people who have lost a family member or a friend to Aids.
The Hong Kong Aids Memorial Quilt Project, organised by TeenAIDS, is creating a teddy-bear version of the project dedicated to Aids-infected orphans in Yunnan.
'Aids is a serious problem on the mainland. For example, there is a village with a lot of Aids-infected orphans in Henan province. So we want to show that we care about them,' said TeenAIDS founder Atty Ching Tsui-wan.
The ongoing project adopts the traditional Chinese way of producing quilts for children. That is to stitch pieces of cloth together as a symbol of a blessed, long life. Each piece is being decorated with a different type of teddy bear and there are 54 designs in all.
'Teddy bears represent fortune and happiness. We hope that they can enjoy a happy childhood which they deserve,' said Sandy Yeung, who is designing the quilt.
The project is now in its final stages. It started in February, but was suspended for three months due to the Sars outbreak. The next project will be dedicated to a specific Aids patient.
Besides those who have been moved by the effects of Aids on society, many victims' families, friends and lovers are taking part in the initiative. It is a healing process for them.
