Barb&KnittedKnockers goes to Rwanda
Donation protected
I have been invited to come to Rwanda to help the women of East Africa struggling with Breast Cancer and I need your help to get there!
The "Who"
Hi, I'm Barb,Demorest, the founder of Knitted Knockers Support Foundation, a nonprofit that brings comfort and dignity to women who have had a mastectomy.
The "What"
As if life in East Africa isn’t difficult enough, imagine having breast cancer and a mastectomy knowing that the ultimate insult is to be told, "May your mother have her breast cut off”. Philippa of the Breast Cancer Initiative of East Africa (BCIEA) tells us that life is very challenging for breast cancer survivors to live without their breasts as they are stigmatized and breast reconstruction is not an available option for most women, and yet mastectomy is the main treatment approach.
Knitted Knockers are soft, light, huggable and made with love by caring volunteers so when Philippa asked if we could help teach the women of Rwanda to make breast prostheses for the women of East Africa we knew immediately the answer was a resounding YES!
Philippa went on to explain that silicone prostheses are expensive, heavy, hot, and hard to take care of due to poor living conditions--some have been eaten by rats, they require special bras and so many have “shunned” the donated traditional breast prosthetics. We agreed that the soft, hand knit knitted knockers made of breathable cotton that can be worn in a regular bra could be a great solution for their women. She had taken a couple of sample knockers with her for the women to try to make their own. While they are great knitters, many cannot read patterns so their first efforts were admirable but not functional! Philippa asked if we would consider going to Rwanda to inspire the women to make knockers for their fellow women. Practicing the principle, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” these women would in turn go out to the 1200 tribes of E Africa to teach the women how to make them for themselves. Making Knitted Knockers could become a small income-generating activity that would enable women to escape poverty and take charge of their lives and their families’ while making a difference to cancer patients.
The "How"
The plan is for hospitals and organizations to buy the knockers from the women at a reasonable price and then donate them to the women that can use them. This works on all levels and is sustainable. The women of E. Africa would be making knitted knockers for the women of their community while assisting themselves out of poverty.
Knitted Knockers wasted no time responding to the need in Rwanda. In February, we donated and shipped 100 knockers to BCIEA, after a successful “call for action for 1000 knockers” by Stitches West, a large Fiber Arts Expo in California. We selected an assortment of beautiful colors and they were received with great joy and delight, we were told.
The "When"
Philippa has invited us to participate in the 8th Annual Ulinzi Walk in Kigali, Rwanda in October 2016. This will be an opportunity to educate women and the medical profession on the availability and suitability of these breast prostheses. Resources are limited with the typical family surviving on just $1 a day. We believe that by sharing the knitted knocker story and the impact on women’s lives, we can inspire these women to make knockers for their own communities. With a little help, many of these women can be empowered by giving them a skill, and they can, in turn help someone else.
The "How to Help"
This is where you can help. The yarn and needles have been graciously donated by Loveknitting.com, Cascade Yarns, Brittany Needles, and Bryce Distributing. Knitted Knockers Support Foundation is a 501(c)3 run 100% by volunteers. With up to 1,000 a month being distributed worldwide we survive strictly by donations.
We have volunteers ready and willing to take the journey to Rwanda to teach these women but we need funding for travel costs. We've done all the heavy lifting, please help us get there. Please help us help the women of E Africa by contributing to our E Africa Fund to help the women of E Africa to gain a skill and help someone else while bringing themselves out of poverty.
We figure it will take about $3,500 per person to go to Rwanda. Barb & Laureen are committed to going no matter what and have started getting our shots. Please help us get there! We would like to take 4 people if we can raise thefunds.
The Difference you will Make
As the Founder of Knitted Knockers Support Foundation and a woman who experienced a mastectomy I know what a difference this caring gift of a knitted kmocker made to me. It is my greatest joy to help equip the people of E Africa to learn to provide these wonderful gifts of love to their own women. Your donation wll not only be appreciated by me but by hundreds if not thousands of the women of E Africa.
Every dollar helps.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart
Sincerely,
Barb
Founder & President
Knitted Knockers Support Foundation
Aka knittedknockers.org
If you want to learn a bit more about knittedknockers.org and what we do here is a 1 minute video that has been seen over 1 million times!
http://www.businessinsider.com/cancer-survivor-makes-knitted-knockers-2016-3
The "Who"
Hi, I'm Barb,Demorest, the founder of Knitted Knockers Support Foundation, a nonprofit that brings comfort and dignity to women who have had a mastectomy.
The "What"
As if life in East Africa isn’t difficult enough, imagine having breast cancer and a mastectomy knowing that the ultimate insult is to be told, "May your mother have her breast cut off”. Philippa of the Breast Cancer Initiative of East Africa (BCIEA) tells us that life is very challenging for breast cancer survivors to live without their breasts as they are stigmatized and breast reconstruction is not an available option for most women, and yet mastectomy is the main treatment approach.
Knitted Knockers are soft, light, huggable and made with love by caring volunteers so when Philippa asked if we could help teach the women of Rwanda to make breast prostheses for the women of East Africa we knew immediately the answer was a resounding YES!
Philippa went on to explain that silicone prostheses are expensive, heavy, hot, and hard to take care of due to poor living conditions--some have been eaten by rats, they require special bras and so many have “shunned” the donated traditional breast prosthetics. We agreed that the soft, hand knit knitted knockers made of breathable cotton that can be worn in a regular bra could be a great solution for their women. She had taken a couple of sample knockers with her for the women to try to make their own. While they are great knitters, many cannot read patterns so their first efforts were admirable but not functional! Philippa asked if we would consider going to Rwanda to inspire the women to make knockers for their fellow women. Practicing the principle, “give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime” these women would in turn go out to the 1200 tribes of E Africa to teach the women how to make them for themselves. Making Knitted Knockers could become a small income-generating activity that would enable women to escape poverty and take charge of their lives and their families’ while making a difference to cancer patients. The "How"
The plan is for hospitals and organizations to buy the knockers from the women at a reasonable price and then donate them to the women that can use them. This works on all levels and is sustainable. The women of E. Africa would be making knitted knockers for the women of their community while assisting themselves out of poverty.
Knitted Knockers wasted no time responding to the need in Rwanda. In February, we donated and shipped 100 knockers to BCIEA, after a successful “call for action for 1000 knockers” by Stitches West, a large Fiber Arts Expo in California. We selected an assortment of beautiful colors and they were received with great joy and delight, we were told.
The "When"Philippa has invited us to participate in the 8th Annual Ulinzi Walk in Kigali, Rwanda in October 2016. This will be an opportunity to educate women and the medical profession on the availability and suitability of these breast prostheses. Resources are limited with the typical family surviving on just $1 a day. We believe that by sharing the knitted knocker story and the impact on women’s lives, we can inspire these women to make knockers for their own communities. With a little help, many of these women can be empowered by giving them a skill, and they can, in turn help someone else.
The "How to Help"
This is where you can help. The yarn and needles have been graciously donated by Loveknitting.com, Cascade Yarns, Brittany Needles, and Bryce Distributing. Knitted Knockers Support Foundation is a 501(c)3 run 100% by volunteers. With up to 1,000 a month being distributed worldwide we survive strictly by donations.
We have volunteers ready and willing to take the journey to Rwanda to teach these women but we need funding for travel costs. We've done all the heavy lifting, please help us get there. Please help us help the women of E Africa by contributing to our E Africa Fund to help the women of E Africa to gain a skill and help someone else while bringing themselves out of poverty.
We figure it will take about $3,500 per person to go to Rwanda. Barb & Laureen are committed to going no matter what and have started getting our shots. Please help us get there! We would like to take 4 people if we can raise thefunds.
The Difference you will Make
As the Founder of Knitted Knockers Support Foundation and a woman who experienced a mastectomy I know what a difference this caring gift of a knitted kmocker made to me. It is my greatest joy to help equip the people of E Africa to learn to provide these wonderful gifts of love to their own women. Your donation wll not only be appreciated by me but by hundreds if not thousands of the women of E Africa.
Every dollar helps.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart
Sincerely,
Barb
Founder & President
Knitted Knockers Support Foundation
Aka knittedknockers.org
If you want to learn a bit more about knittedknockers.org and what we do here is a 1 minute video that has been seen over 1 million times!
http://www.businessinsider.com/cancer-survivor-makes-knitted-knockers-2016-3
Organizer
Barb Demorest
Organizer
Bellingham, WA
