Nice Threads: Zimbabwean Mothers Turn their Needlework Skills into a Better Life

IN ZIMBABWE, MOTHERS who care for their disabled children are choosing to live in social isolation. Because of a massive stigma related to local beliefs that the disabled are born evil and are capable of spreading that evil to all who come in contact with them, families of handicapped children in the region are often forced to either abandon them or face banishment from their communities. “People think that maybe you are a witch or that you practice witchcraft through that child,” says Mai Clara, a parent who chose to raise her disabled child.

Grappling with poverty, abandonment by family, and the trials of finding work while caring for special-needs kids, Clara and 13 other women in similar circumstances formed their own community in 1998 in the Zimbabwean neighborhood of Harare. They called it Batsiranai, which translates to “helping each other.” And though these mothers initially came together for emotional support, they soon began sewing and embroidering handicrafts in order to generate income. Over time, they taught other mothers of disabled kids these skills, and now Batsiranai is 100 women strong, providing its community with food, job training, schooling for the children, and housing.

The determination of these women brought them to the attention of Americans Lynn Poole, who is now their business mentor in Zimbabwe, and Janis Stoner, currently their fund-raiser in the U.S. Both now work as volunteers, spreading the word by teaching others how to sell Batsiranai crafts in their own homes, Tupperware party– style. “They are the kind of grass-roots group I want to make sure flourishes,” says Stoner. “They are working to support themselves.”

Luckily, once Batsiranai’s handiwork gets into the hands of volunteer vendors, they quite ably sell themselves. The line includes beautifully crafted dolls, handbags, yoga bags, and housewares of such high quality that they’ve been picked up by retailers like Ten Thousand Villages and Global Exchange. And every sale makes it possible for Batsiranai to help more of the over 600 mothers of disabled children waiting to join the group. “These women stretch the money so far,” says Stoner. “They really live the motto of helping each other.”

To buy their goods online, make a donation, or find out how
to host your own Batsiranai shopping party, visit http://www.batsiranai.
com. [RACHEL YOUNG]