Knitted Hope Restores Breast Cancer Survivors’ Confidence

A community-based initiative in Harare is helping breast cancer survivors rebuild their confidence and self-esteem by providing free knitted prosthetic breasts and psychosocial support to women who have undergone mastectomies.

The Mt Pleasant Heights Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Sister to Sister Breast Cancer Initiative based in the Mt Pleasant Heights suburb of Harare was established to support women undergoing chemotherapy or radiation treatment as well as those who have completed their treatment.

The initiative seeks to address one of the often-overlooked effects of breast cancer treatment – the emotional and psychological impact of losing a breast.

Founder and coordinator Eugenia Bhebhe said the idea for the project was inspired by her late mother’s experience with breast cancer.

“My mother’s experience with breast cancer. She suffered a lot from a negative self-image and she didn’t have the option of buying silicone breasts,” she said.

Bhebhe said she later met a friend from Ivory Coast who had undergone a mastectomy and introduced her to the concept of knitted and crocheted prosthetic breasts.

“I realised that there are many women out there who struggle with self-image after mastectomy and the knitted breasts are an accessible alternative to silicone ones,” she said.

Her friend had been involved with a United States-based organisation called Knitted Knockers, which provides handmade breast prostheses to women who have undergone mastectomies.

The pair began knitting together and donating the prostheses to cancer organisations in Ivory Coast.

When Bhebhe relocated to Zimbabwe, she continued the work by donating knitted prostheses to cancer centres before proposing the idea to her church.

“I suggested the idea to the church and the church enthusiastically adopted the idea and formulated a well-organised and structured project,” she said.

Today, the initiative offers a range of services aimed at supporting breast cancer survivors and their families.

These include training volunteers in knitting and crocheting prosthetic breasts, distributing the handmade prostheses free of charge and offering dietary health education on cancer prevention.

The group also conducts healthy gardening and cooking training sessions to encourage better nutrition among survivors and their families.

In addition, the initiative provides free counselling services to cancer patients, their relatives and caregivers, recognising the emotional strain often associated with the disease.

Spiritual support also forms a key part of the programme with the group offering prayer and encouragement to survivors and their loved ones.

Esther Matshe, the initiative’s Publicity, Marketing and Communication Officer said the project was driven by a desire to make a meaningful difference in the lives of women affected by breast cancer.

“The desire is to make a difference in the life of another woman in need. We are mission-oriented to minister and tell the love of God,” she said.

Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide and health experts say psychosocial support is an essential component of recovery and rehabilitation.

For many women who cannot afford silicone prostheses, the knitted alternatives provided by the Mt Pleasant Heights SDA Sister to Sister Breast Cancer Initiative offer not only physical comfort but also a renewed sense of dignity and confidence.

The initiative’s members say their mission is simple: to ensure that no woman faces the emotional challenges of life after mastectomy alone.