Joining us on the blog this week is Mally Ellis from not-for-profit knitwear label Knit for Life. Knit for Life is a registered charity empowering women in rural Zimbabwe to use their knitting skills to alleviate family poverty and provide an education for their children.
Made with heart, each garment is a creation of quality and beauty.
Can you share with us the story behind Knit for Life? How did it begin and who is behind it?
Knit for Life began in 2000 as Grasshoppers Jumpers, a small social enterprise business established by native Zimbabweans, Mally Ellis, her sister, Jackie, and their late mother Lily. Lily opened her home in Harare to women from the impoverished Chatsworth community to train them to hand-knit products to international standards. In 2017, Mally formed Knit for Life, a charity with tax-deductible status and became its CEO.
Today, Knit For Life is a thriving empowerment project based on a partnership between the knitters of Chatsworth in rural Zimbabwe and volunteers based in Australia. Our mission is inspired by the belief that when women are lifted from poverty, the whole community benefits. Our team in Australia is committed to collaborating with the knitters to create opportunities for greater economic independence and self-sustainability and to bring about improvements in the quality of life for their community.
Despite unimaginable daily hardships these women continue to produce beautiful work, demonstrating their pride, dignity and commitment to uplifting themselves from systemic poverty, to educating their children and to creating opportunities to build brighter futures for rural Zimbabwean families.
What impact has 2020 had on your business and knitters and how have you changed direction?
2020 sure has been a year of challenges for Knit For Life but we are certainly not alone in navigating difficult times. For our knitters the challenges are always there, to find water, feed and educate their children. With Zimbabwe’s borders shut, with markets, fairs and events cancelled in Australia, we have turned our focus to growing partnerships with kindred networks like Finders Keepers, to developing our e-commerce platform, to building a beautiful online boutique, evolving our Instagram and Facebook pages that together will allow us to better share the story of Knit For Life, our knitters, their work and most importantly provide the best possible stage to expand opportunities, grow our retail sales and discover new wholesale stockists.
It is our belief that when people unite, we can inspire change and overcome obstacles inevitably placed in our path, so 2020 with its unique challenges has only meant we have explored new ways to build our vision and connections.
It is our belief that when people unite, we can inspire change and overcome obstacles inevitably placed in our path, so 2020 with its unique challenges has only meant we have explored new ways to build our vision and connections.
What influences your work, is there a person or business you admire and look up to?
I look up to people who stand against inequality and injustice, who help empower those who are vulnerable by tangible and creative solutions: our Australian Not-for-Profit partners, CEO Simon Doble of Solar Buddy, aims to gift 6 million solar lights to children living in energy poverty by 2030 and CEO Alfred Chidembo, of Aussie Books for Zim, is providing rural Zimbabwean children access to books through establishing rural libraries.
Then there are the knitters of the KFL, Zimbabwe, community. Despite unimaginable daily hardships these women continue to produce beautiful work, demonstrating their pride, dignity and commitment to uplifting themselves from systemic poverty, to educating their children and to creating opportunities to build brighter futures for rural Zimbabwean families. They inspire me unendingly.
Finally and primarily, my late mother, Lily, who was instrumental in setting up this project almost two decades ago, is my enduring inspiration in all that I do.
What are you loving at the moment and what are you currently working on?
We are continually working on growing our brand awareness and on finding new volunteers, followers, supporters and partners who will help us get our business/not for profit organisation to the next level. Right now, we’re also working on a grant application to build the first-ever knitting centre in the community in Zimbabwe and I’m participating in a managerial course in “Evolving My Not-for-Profit”.
In addition to these, I’m loving working on developing our new website, which, excitingly, will be up and running in the next few days.
Can you share your top 4 pieces to keep our little ones comfortable & happy this spring?
Spring is here, the perfect time to introduce you to our 100% naturally grown cotton children’s and babywear. Handcrafted, our range is mostly unisex, luxuriously soft yet robust enough to be machine washed and even tumble dried.
1 – Our rompers are the perfect warm-weather garment for precious little ones. Designed for easy dressing and undressing, they can be worn on their own or with layers in cooler weather.
2 – Our onesies and jumpsuits are versatile, stylish and look equally perfect worn on their own or with layers.
3 – Knit For Life’s signature cable-knit cardigan is the perfect layering piece that can be thrown over a summer garment on cooler summer evenings or worn with a sweater underneath when cold.
4 – And in any weather, surely every child needs a lion, monkey, elephant or kangaroo dressed in a jumpsuit or sweater! Collect our whole zoo and engage in hours of creative play.
Follow Knit for Life:
Knit for Life Website
Knit for Life Instagram
Finders Keepers Online Marketplace Shop