Women show handcrafted bags at Tsamaya village in the outskirts of Francistown, Botswana, on Dec. 8, 2021. A group of elderly ladies in Botswana are fashioning and carving their way out of stress and poverty through dancing, singing and knitting beads for bags together. These women are affectionately known as Botswana's "knitting grannies". (Photo by Shingirai Madondo/Xinhua)
FRANCISTOWN, Dec. 21 (Xinhua) -- A group of elderly ladies in Botswana are fashioning and carving their way out of stress and poverty through dancing, singing and knitting beads for bags together.
Almost every day, the 13 women, ranging in age from the early 50s to the late 70s, converge at a Pentecostal church, situated at Tsamaya village in the outskirts of Francistown, Botswana's second-largest city, to do the knitting.
These women are affectionately known as Botswana's "knitting grannies".
"I used to survive on odd jobs to have an income. But these odd jobs were not always available," said 79-year-old Lungani Mphinyane, who has been part of the Mukani Muzwithamile Group since its inception in December 2019.
Mukani Muzwithamile (loosely translated to wake up and fend for self to be self-reliant) is a Kalanga language, one of the many dialects spoken in Botswana especially in the northeastern part of the country and is a statement that encourages self-reliance.
Mphinyane said the program has been so helpful to her. Without using much energy, Mphinyane said she is making enough money to fend for herself and her two great-grandchildren whom she lived with.
Besides managing to make an income that ranges between 800 and 1,000 pula (between 68 and 85 U.S. dollars) per month, Mphinyane said she is now living a stress-free life.
In the morning, they dance as they sing traditional music as a way of motivating each other and exercising. After a day of working, they also sing and dance in order to stretch their bodies before going home, Mphinyane told Xinhua.
"A few months after joining this group, I visited a local clinic for my routine high-blood and diabetes checkup. The nurse was so surprised by the stability of the two chronic diseases," said Mphinyane with a wide smile.
Fadzai Themba, 51, has been surviving through processing and selling peanut butter but soon after joining the association of elderly women, her life changed dramatically.
"Handcrafted bags are loved by most ladies, especially young ones. And this means more money into our pockets," said Themba, showing off her purse full of 100 pula notes before breaking into laughter.
Usually, they sell the crafts to individuals in Francistown and surrounding areas. They also advertise their bags on social media, such as Facebook and Whatsapp.
Nanzelela Chaitezvi, a 34-year-old native of the village in which the elderly women are operating, is the brain behind the project. Her intention was to group unemployed young people like her but it was never to be. "Young people are very impatient," said Chaitezvi, adding that the intention is to export the beaded bags to China.
According to Chaitezvi, the Chinese people like handcrafted products. It will make business sense for us to start supplying the Chinese market because China has the largest population across the globe. "More people mean more business opportunities," said Chaitezvi. Enditem
"Knitting granny" Sellinah Dzawanda (R) shows her knitting skills at Tsamaya village in the outskirts of Francistown, Botswana, on Dec. 8, 2021. A group of elderly ladies in Botswana are fashioning and carving their way out of stress and poverty through dancing, singing and knitting beads for bags together. These women are affectionately known as Botswana's "knitting grannies". (Photo by Shingirai Madondo/Xinhua)
"Knitting grannies" Lungani Mphinyane (L, Front) and Sellinah Dzawanda (R, Front) show their knitting skills at Tsamaya village in the outskirts of Francistown, Botswana, on Dec. 8, 2021. A group of elderly ladies in Botswana are fashioning and carving their way out of stress and poverty through dancing, singing and knitting beads for bags together. These women are affectionately known as Botswana's "knitting grannies". (Photo by Shingirai Madondo/Xinhua)