In their own words
Behind every piece is the woman or man who stitched it, square by square, over weeks and months. These are their words, as they gave them to the programme's team: lightly edited for grammar, first names only, nothing added.
I am a 30-year-old single mother of two. I am currently serving a sentence in prison. I worked on this cross-stitch pattern of a zebra. The project paid me well enough to take care of my children's secondary school educational needs.
In this project, I have been able to avoid immoral and illegal activities by focusing on cross-stitching. I am very grateful to the programme for having a heart for reaching out to women across the country, more so in prisons.
I am a 55-year-old married mother of six. I joined the cross-stitch project in 2017 when the programme's representatives introduced it in prisons.
I worked on this underwater fish pattern, which took me five weeks to complete. With the money I earn, I send money to my family back at home for their upkeep. To be able to take care of my family gives me peace and joy. May God bless this project for remembering to empower us.
I am an inmate at Lang'ata Women's Prison. I joined the programme in 2016. I worked on this forest cross stitch together with two other ladies and it took us three months to complete.
It has been a therapeutic journey, as we get together to stitch with the other women after our daily chores. It takes away my stress, and afterwards, when I get to my bed, I sleep like a baby. The money I have received I have used to sustain myself in here and, most importantly, to take care of my baby despite being far from her.
I am 24 years old and serving a sentence in Lang'ata Women's Prison. I worked on this forest cross stitch with two of my friends. It was a masterpiece and we were so glad to have been a part of creating something so beautiful.
It took us three months to complete and it made us closer as we stitched. The money earned I sent to my sister, who has a young child, for them and for my mother's medication. I am grateful for what the programme is doing for us.
I am a 45-year-old mother of three and currently imprisoned at Lang'ata Women's Prison. I worked on this pattern of a leopard and it took me six weeks to finish the piece.
Through this project, I have been able to send money home for school fees, and the rest of the money I save here with the prison's welfare. When working on the project, all the stress goes. I would like to thank the programme for the opportunity. As prisoners, it helps our families out there. We are able to give a financial boost to the guardians who take care of our children. May God bless the programme; we are so happy.
I am an inmate at the Lang'ata Women's Prison. I worked on this cross stitch pattern within three months. The money I received enabled me to take care of my children back at home in Kisii. I left them when they were very young and in the care of my sister.
They are now mature and I am proud that I could take care of them even from prison. Not many people visit me, but I am very grateful to the Cross Stitch International team that visits us during trainings.
I am a 29-year-old mother of two. I joined cross stitch in 2018 when I was incarcerated at Lang'ata Women's Prison. Through cross stitching, I have been able to earn money to support my children and put food on the table.
Nothing means more to a parent than providing for their children. This has kept me connected with my family even from behind bars. I look forward to my release, when I will be fully reunited with my family.
I am a 40-year-old mother of one. I joined the cross stitch project in 2016 when they introduced it in Lang'ata prison, where I am incarcerated. I worked on this cross stitch piece and it took me six weeks to complete.
Through cross stitch, I have been able to pay my medical fees when I was admitted to hospital, and also send some money for my child's upkeep, school fees and some of the basic things she needs. I really want to express my sincere gratitude to the programme for encouraging us that not all hope is lost and that there is something we can do to make our lives better.
I am a 57-year-old married mother of one. I joined the cross stitch project in 2018 when the team came here to Lang'ata Women's Prison. I have been receiving treatment, and the payment from the project has enabled me to meet my medical costs.
I feel very happy to send money home for the upkeep of my family. Stitching has therefore also eased my mind, since most of the stress I had was financial. The programme has changed my life!
I come from Busia County. I am currently incarcerated at Lang'ata Women's Prison. I worked on this cross stitch pattern and it took me a month to complete. The money I earned helped me take care of myself, since I do not have any visitors coming to see me, and some of it I send back home to help my mother.
Even though I let her down, it makes me proud to take care of her from behind bars. I thank God for this project, because life in prison is really hard, but through God's grace I have been able to survive. Thank you!
I am a deaf woman and I worked on this elephant pattern. I worked on it for a month and a half. I grew so fond of the piece. It was extremely engaging, to the point of even stitching while in a public transport vehicle. Fellow passengers would be left bewildered, because it was a foreign concept to them.
I was paid for the work done and I used the money to buy my three children Christmas gifts and also to invest in a chicken-rearing project. I pray the programme will continue to be blessed for supporting us through this project.
I am a woman living with disability. Cross stitching is a labour of love. It was a challenge to get the stitches right at first, but I pushed myself to see this beautiful flower come together.
The process was symbolic of my life. Though challenging, in the end I see that God has made something beautiful out of me. I am very grateful to the programme for renewing my hope.
I am a disabled mother of two. I worked on this sunflower pattern. It took me about four months to complete the work, as it was very detailed, but I enjoyed stitching.
When I got paid, I used the money to supplement my income and started a small business. Thank you for making me believe in myself; disability is not inability.
I am a deaf woman living in Dandora and I worked on this pattern of a beautiful cottage. It took me three months to complete the piece.
This project has helped me in taking care of my family. In our meetings, I felt very motivated to know that disability is not inability. The deaf community is sometimes forgotten in society, but we are grateful to cross stitch for coming to our aid.
I am a 38-year-old separated, disabled mother of three. I worked on this cross-stitch pattern of horses, which took me three months to finish with four other friends. The project has earned me great pay. I have been able to expand my sweater-knitting business, which had been very constrained.
As a mother, it is a great blessing to be able to provide good food for my children and see to all their school needs. May God bless the programme, because we have never had anyone thinking of Narok people living with disability as they have. We pray to continue partnering with them to empower more women in the region.
I am a woman living with disabilities in Gatundu town. I worked on this cross-stitch pattern with a friend and it took us two and a half months to complete. As I stitched, I was less stressed, because my mind was always focused on the cross-stitching work. This project has given me a financial breakthrough.
As a person with disability, it means the world to me, because most manual jobs are a challenge, but now I can rest at home, keep busy with the patterns and earn a living. I am so proud to show off my work. I saved the money I was paid for this piece because I intend to open an M-Pesa business. I am grateful to the programme for empowering us.
I am a deaf person living in Dandora and I worked on this pattern of African stick women. This project gives me hope to continue being industrious, with the capability of earning to support my family.
I hope my experience and story can motivate others living with any kind of disability that it is possible to do something to advance yourself, be it in terms of skills or financially. From the money paid, I have been able to educate my child and also begin a business selling second-hand clothes. I am very happy to see deaf people being considered for this project. May God continue blessing the programme.
I am a person living with disability and a mother of four. This programme has helped me earn an income that supports my children. I have seen the results of diligence and I know that when you are faithful with small things, God will bless you with more.
I will soon start a business and I know the sky is the limit, thanks to the programme.
I am a 25-year-old mother of one living with disability. It took me two months to complete this cross stitch piece. I am a new mother and the project has helped me deal with postpartum stress and helped me feel at peace.
I am grateful to God for using the programme to help me earn a living and provide for my son.
I am a 42-year-old mother of three living with disability. It took me four months to work on this cross stitch pattern. Cross stitching has helped me support my family and reinforced the fact that disability is not inability.
The proceeds have helped me start a livestock business and I am grateful for this opportunity.
I am a 31-year-old single mother of one and I am living with a disability. With my earnings from cross stitch, I have cleared my daughter's school fees and paid my rent. When the cross stitch project was introduced in Narok town, I felt that God had remembered me.
I am starting a new business and I do not have that fear of debt any more, because I can use the money I earn as capital. Thank you for helping me out of a season of hardship.
I am living with a disability. During my school holidays, I joined a group that was doing stitching in my neighbourhood. I stitched this pattern over a period of three months.
For the first time in my life, I was able to contribute to my college fees, and this made my parents very happy and proud. I intend to continue stitching and I look forward to a bright future upon completion of my education. Thank you!
I am a recovering addict. I am 21 years old. Cross stitching has taught me to be patient. I have saved the money I earn and will use it to buy cross stitching and crocheting materials once I leave the rehabilitation centre.
Cross stitching truly gives me peace and helps me in the recovery process. I know I will not relapse after leaving the rehabilitation centre.
I am a recovering addict at a rehabilitation centre. I joined the cross stitch programme while here and it has been a saving grace for me. As I stitch, it relieves me of stress and anxieties, because cross stitching takes all my focus and relaxes my mind.
I hope to complete my time here and continue to stitch afterwards to keep from relapsing. I am grateful.
I am a recovering addict. I worked on this forest pattern with three members of the cross stitching group here at the centre. We are so grateful for this initiative, because it keeps us engaged through the day and it keeps us from relapsing.
I have decided to continue with cross stitching even after my time here, to keep on the sober path.
I am a recovering addict at the Haven Rehab Centre. Since cross stitch came here, it has become part of our therapy and I am so glad, because it has changed my life. Stitching has calmed my mind and contributed to my recovery process.
Once I complete the programme, my payment will be released to me and I will use it to start a business. This will enable me to look after my baby, who is currently at a children's home. Thank you!
I am a mother of five. I stitched this pattern of two beautiful peacocks. With the money earned, I felt a sense of pride in the work of my hands, as I had never before made such amounts of money.
This helped me start dairy farming, and now I have a new source of income. This is a God-given project and I pray for the programme to be blessed for this noble work.
I am a married mother of four. Prior to 2017, I was neck deep in debt to sustain my business, which was my side hustle. I was a casual labourer and we could not make ends meet, so we took to borrowing from financial institutions. It got to a point where we could not breathe, because the lenders came calling.
I was introduced to the project when I had reached my very end and thought all hope was lost. The project has enabled me to earn money that allowed me to pay off all those debts and take care of my family. Thank you so much; may you continue being a blessing to others.
I worked on this hippo pattern. It took me two months to complete. Even though it has turned out perfect, it was a very intensive piece to work on. I had to be very keen while stitching.
I was paid for the work done and I used the money on school fees for my child, who joined secondary school in January 2019, and catered to some household needs. Very soon I will start a business to help keep everything afloat, thanks to the programme.
I have three children and one of them, my daughter, who is eight, has cerebral palsy. We live in Gatundu town. Taking care of her is hands-on, so I made sure she was settled and then I gave myself time to work on cross-stitching. My life now, compared to the past, is more fulfilling, because I am industrious and I have a vision of where I would like my life to be in the future.
I sell second-hand clothes, and my capital came from the project. My family is so impressed with this project that my children also took up cross stitching on this piece. My hope for the future is that I will be able to pay for uninterrupted education for my kids, as well as enrol my daughter in a special school. I am thankful for the project, because my children are well taken care of and I can consider myself employed.
I am a 37-year-old single parent of six. Providing for all six is an uphill task without a stable source of income. I worked on this pattern of a lion. Cross stitching has had great benefits in my life; it has relieved me of stress and has encouraged me to be as brave as a lion.
I am able to provide for my children with the money earned from the project and elevate our lives by giving them the best education I can access. Thank you.
I am a 47-year-old single mother of two. I started cross stitching just after my marriage ended due to domestic violence. Since joining the team, I have made money and can now provide for my children.
I have found peace of mind following the end of my marriage. Cross stitching has been a form of therapy. I am very grateful to the programme.
I am 20 years old. I worked on this cross stitch pattern and the money I made helped me support my mother. She is a single mother with nine children, and the money I make helps to pay school fees for my siblings and take care of home expenses.
This has turned around our lives and given us hope for a better tomorrow.