How knitted toys connect Orkney to female prisoners in Zimbabwe

An
Orkney
charity
is
supporting
40
female
prisoners
in
Zimbabwe
by
giving
them
work
knitting
toy
animals.

GoGo
Olive
teaches
inmates
at
Mutare
Remand
Prison
how
to
knit
and
offers
them
the
opportunity
to
make
an
income
during
their
sentence.

It
was
set
up
by
Julie
Hagan,
from
Westray,
who
sells
their
products
online
and
in
local
shops
near
her
home.

The
41-year-old
said
the
charity
offers
stability
and
that
just
one
of
their
workers
has
re-offended
during
the
16
years
GoGo
Olive
has
been
running.

“We’re
about
empowering
the
women,
it’s
not
about
how
much
money
we
make
at
the
end
of
the
year,”
Julie
said.

Julie
set
up
GoGo
Olive
in
2008
after
working
in
Zimbabwe
for
another
charity.

She
kept
being
approached
by
women
with
items
they
had
made,
asking
if
she
could
sell
their
items
back
home
in
Orkney.

Julie
wanted
to
help
but
wasn’t
sure
how,
until
she
was
advised
to
visit
a
women’s
prison
where
inmates
were
using
wire
as
knitting
needles.

By
November
2008,
she
had
recruited
six
prisoners
to
knit
toy
animals,
which
were
sent
to
gift
shop
in
Westray.

“I
didn’t
imagine
it
would
grow
to
the
size
it
is
or
that
it
would
still
be
going,”
Julie
said.

“Sixteen
years
later,
we’re
in
our
own
premises
with
new
things
happening
all
the
time,
so
it’s
very
encouraging.”

Once
the
women
are
released
from
prison,
they
have
the
opportunity
to
continue
working
with
Gogo
Olive
at
their
workshop,
located
outside
the
prison.

Almost
all
the
women
choose
to
continue
as
unemployment
is
very
high
in
Zimbabwe,
and,
as
an
ex-offender,
it
can
be
hard
to
find
work.

Julie
said:
“It’s
working
with
the
women
after
they
have
been
released
that
we
see
such
encouraging
changes
in
their
lives.

“It’s
such
a
privilege
to
see
them
turn
their
lives
around
and
become
role
models
in
their
families
and
communities.”

The
charity
has
recently
built
a
house
of
refuge,
designed
to
help
women
in
difficult
circumstances.

The
women
can
live
there
for
up
to
two
months
until
alternative
housing
is
found.

Julie’s
sister,
Ruth
Green,
45,
works
for
the
charity
as
well.

The
charity’s
name
is
a
tribute
to
their
grandmother
who
was
called
Olive.

GoGo
means
granny
in
Shona,
one
of
the
languages
spoken
in
Zimbabwe.

Ruth
said:
“They’re
not
criminals.
The
most
common
crime
is
stealing.
Julie
and
I
deliberately
said
let’s
not
find
out
what
they’re
in
for
because
then
you
do
judge.”

The
workshop
is
open
Monday
to
Friday
and
the
women
can
attend
every
day.

“A
lot
of
them
say
having
that
space
is
therapy
because
they’re
chatting
through
stuff
and
helping
each
other,”
said
Ruth.

The
women
in
prison
are
paid
the
same
as
those
outside
of
prison
to
make
the
toys.

It
isn’t
possible
for
them
to
be
paid
in
prison,
but
an
account
is
kept
for
each
women
and
they
have
options
on
how
the
money
is
used.

All
charity
fundraising
is
done
in
Orkney,
allowing
them
to
support
the
project
throughout
the
year.

Julie
says
Orkney
is
very
generous
when
it
comes
to
fundraising.

She
said:
“I
wish
everyone
could
come
and
meet
the
and
hear
from
them
about
the
impact
it
has.

“I
get
the
privilege
to
go
out
and
spend
time
with
the
women,
but
I
feel
very
lucky
to
do
this
job.”