A new friend from within the Bolivian jail

I experienced a life lesson from a wonderful English woman who happens to find herself incarcerated in Bolivia. She has been “inside” for 3 and half years. Her fair skin, bleached blonde hair and blue eye shadow make her stand out amongst the dark braided hair and colorful long pleated skirts worn by the other female prisoners. At least 90% (if not more) of the women who find themselves in this particular Bolivian jail are of indigenous decent. So my English friend is easy to notice. 

She generally sits close to the worn down empty water fountain built in the middle of the courtyard. Day after day, she sits reading one of her books very peacefully. As an observer I can almost see the chaos spin around her and away. It’s as if she is sitting in the eye of the tornado in complete stillness and peace, while everything around her is seemingly going array, or not… and if so, she doesn’t notice.  On many occasions we’ve had the opportunity to chat, and in her presence I almost forget where I am, she has the amazing gift of emanating stillness and peace.

She is probably somewhere in her fifties, she has 3 sons and had lived many years in South Africa. As in most of the cases of incarcerated women, she had an abusive husband and now recognizes her incarceration as a profound experience. She shared with me that this time “inside”, has taught her to stay inside herself and experience authentic peace. “It was the only way to survive”; otherwise negativity from the jail can seep in very easily and make life miserable. She is grateful for her imprisonment which has taught her the meaning and beauty of being still and living in the present, “inside the jail, nothing changes, every day is the same”. I have only recently met her, but I image much of her has changed from her incarceration, and I am grateful for her lessons, which also teach and remind me to go back inside, into that space where I am home, and loving is the only way to be.   

Once again Viktor Frankels’ message comes to mind, “Everything can be taken from a man or a women but one thing: the last of human freedoms to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” 

~Namaste

Knitting Peace at a Crossroad

Knitting Peace is at a crossroads, with two and a half years under our belt, I feel we are ready to step into bigger shoes and the Universe has been pointing us in that direction, bringing forward new opportunities for KP product placement in Europe, the US and South America. This is very exciting, yet requires a reevaluation of our business model.

Our girls are doing a great job in trying to keep up with the new opportunities for product placement and new distribution venues, but it hasn’t been easy. Our team of 15 solid knitters is working around the clock, however their knitting skills and obligations within the jail limit their full time availability to meet all of Knitting Peace’s demands.

After a long hard look at what we have accomplished and where we want to be, it looks like it’s time to consider hiring knitters outside the jail in order to meet the competitive demands of bigger clients worldwide.

So I have made the decision to incorporate experienced knitters outside the jail onto our team, who are seeking opportunities for poverty alleviation and empowerment. Being in Bolivia, one of the poorest countries in the world, I am exposed to a plethora of women who fit this bill, who would love to work for a company that supports their personal development as much as the sustainability of their homes.

These new knitters will comprise our new development design team, and will work out of a small studio (in my home), where we will focus on designing new products. Once the products have been tested and perfected in our local market, our team of knitters within the jail will take over the production of these new designs for placement in external markets via our website and our wholesale venues.

After a few cycles of running through this new process, I plan on creating a new position in our company for a person who will be in charge of our team of knitters within the jail. This person will be very savvy at building and motivating team momentum, as well a inspiring great performance and enhancing the quality of our end product.

I am excited for these new changes, and the opportunity to create new positions within KP in order to delegate tasks which are not my strength and focus on that which is my forte.

This momentum and growth is due to the support of our amazing followers who have helped create awareness about Knitting Peace, and we promise to continue to expand our business while being true to our purpose which has always been and will continue to be to provide opportunities of poverty alleviation and empowerment to women looking for the chance to make a difference in their own lives and the lives of their children.

So, stay tuned for much more Knitting Peace in the future!

Moments to Treasure

I often get caught up on the hamster wheel of doing, running on auto pilot, with a daily list of to do’s, deadlines that must be met, and projects that need to be started. Having a creative mind keeps me very busy, and full of great ideas which I am always starting.

However from time to time, I am reminded or forced to stop and just be; presented with moments which take my breath away and are full of beauty.

Virginia recently joined our team. She was presented to me by a loyal team member, with the promise that they would work together in order to bring Virginia up to speed. Little did I know that Virginia was an experienced knitter, and had been trying to get on Knitting Peace’s radar for some time.

She has been on our team for almost two months, and in that time frame has consistently presented beautiful work with a speed I had not known possible for hand knitting.  However that is not what has impressed me most about Virginia.  What impressed me most is her tremendous capacity to bring lightness and positive attitude to any situation; I find her light heartedness inspiring. I remind you, Virginia and all my knitters are incarcerated, making light heartedness hard to imagine, given their circumstances.

One day, while I was waiting for one of my knitters to show me her work, Virginia sat next to me and began to share her story. She is a mother of 3; her children are 14, 12 and 9, and they currently live with her mother. During her incarceration she has worked in the kitchen or laundry department which provides a monthly wage of less than $50, hardly enough to support 3 children, herself and pay for legal fees.

Virginia shared that she had heard about Knitting Peace and considered trying to get on our team since last year, but was afraid her knitting skills weren't good enough and was intimidated by our work. Luckily for me, she got over that and is now a valued team member, making more than twice the amount she earned in the kitchen or laundry.  Her ability to provide for her children has improved substantially and I am so happy the demand for our beautiful pieces allows me to support her talent and the sustainability of her family.

In this cycle of life, we are all one. One’s needs are joined synchronistically to another’s talent by the invisible light that binds us all. What a blessing and privilege it is for me to support and help that light grow.

Virginia’s specialty: Knitting Peace's Versatile Scarves

Photos by Daniel Caballero