MORE than 100 orphans in Tanzania will be kept warm by gifts of woolly hats knitted by people in South East Cornwall. Wendy Francis, of Liskeard, has received an overwhelming response after making a request for woolly hats. These hats will travel with her daughter Kate to Tanzania and will be given to children there who have been orphaned because of Aids. Kate, 23, who works at the Eden Project, will be travelling to the African country on Sunday to begin her six weeks' voluntary work in the orphanages. 'I thought I could make some little hats out of scraps of wool so I started knitting furiously,' said Wendy. She then made an appeal in last week's Cornish Times for other people to help and she admits the strength of response was unexpected. 'Women have been phoning me up all week from Liskeard, Saltash and Torpoint and the shop has collected loads of hats,' said Wendy, who runs Tremar Tropicals in Liskeard, with her husband Stuart. 'I did not expect this response. The people of Cornwall have been very generous.' Wendy said that free posting arrangements to the orphanages have been made for any hats which can not be sent out with her daughter. 'It will mean a lot to the children who receive the hats,' said Wendy.
