A Merry Christmas in Jail

This past Christmas season was very special for me and Knitting Peace. Mainly because I finally had the opportunity to stay in Bolivia for the holidays, which up to know I usually spent in Los Angeles, selling our goods and participating in gift fairs. However this year was different, I spent it here, with my team!

We were all very excited, and although I couldn’t put together the celebration my girls deserved with a tree, Santa, champagne, gifts, etc (let’s not forget the girls are in a jail), I was able to go into the jail during non visiting hours and have a special intimate gathering with my team, where we shared tea, chocolate milk, Christmas Paneton and cookies.  It was the first time in a long time we had the opportunity to gather around a table and chat. 

I started off the gathering by sharing my gratitude with them for all of their hard work, diligence, perseverance and inspiration. I experienced tremendous growth in each one, on a personal and team level this year, and am extremely grateful for all of their effort and support.  Each team member received a Paneton and chocolate milk to share with their children on Christmas day, which they greatly appreciated. I also gifted them pictures I had taken of them throughout the years of working together, which they asked me to write an inscription on. 

Towards the end of our sweet meal, the girls surprised me with a showering of gratitude and beautifully spoken words of excitement for what is to come, love for the work that we do, lessons received, and mountains of joy.  Each woman shared freely what Knitting Peace has meant to them, and all that they had achieved. In that moment I was able to perceive a group of women sitting in their power, and I almost forgot that I was in a jail. I realized that each and every woman sitting around that table was free; in their hearts and in their minds they experienced the freedom to be in peace and outside of the limitations of the walls of that jail. 

~Namaste

Knitting towards a greater good

We just recently started an internship program at Knitting Peace, which has been an incredible blessing. I didn’t realize how much work I was postponing until Beatriz came along, and got my wheels spinning in motion. It’s fascinating how the Universe works, we truly are powerful beings. 

I had set the intention of attracting a team of supporters to help me take Knitting Peace to the next level, and bam… I feel like I have an army now.  It’s amazing how much can be accomplished with strong intention, honest self evaluation and grounded clarity. What seemed impossible and a burden is now clear open space, with infinite possibilities.

In my moments of doom and gloom, I had forgotten why I had chosen to work with incarcerated women, and why Knitting Peace existed and what it stood for. Luckily, with the help of Beatriz’s soft presence, my girls had the opportunity to open up and share with her what Knitting Peace meant to them and how our work together has benefited their lives.

Hearing what each team member had to share, expressed so lovingly was a gift for me. These women did not sound like repressed, fearful women who are incarcerated. They expressed themselves like warriors who were on a path towards something better.

Xenia shared that she hoped Knitting Peace would continue to grow, and that she could continue to work for us even after she restored her freedom. She looked forward to assisting me in creating new designs and putting her talents to good use.  She felt she made a difference in Knitting Peace and was proud of the work she did with us.

 

Rosario, mother of 2 expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to work. She shared that very little work was available to them, and that through Knitting Peace she was able to work continuously throughout the year and support her children in staying in school while she remained incarcerated.

I am once again reminded of the importance of our work, and inspired to continue on this path. It’s a very exciting time for Knitting Peace, we can’t wait to see what else the Universe has in store!