UK charity supporting female prisoners in Zimbabwe

By BBC News

SCOTLAND: 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.”