Knitted breast prostheses help break stigma for Kenya cancer survivors

At a tailoring shop outside Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, survivors of breast cancer can buy colourful, soft, and affordable knitted prostheses to helping women overcome the stigma following a mastectomy.

It’s owned by Mary Mwangi, herself a survivor, having had both spinal and then breast cancer, with years of treatment and loss of income.

Once a childhood hobby, she began knitting again during this time and a form of therapy to keep her mind occupied.

But the worst was dealing with the stigma she faced after her double mastectomy, an issue she noticed that many women were having to deal with in silence.

Needing to earn money and determined to help others deal with this loss of dignity, she decided to start making the knitted prostheses.

“Small ones like these … take like 15 minutes, and you are done. There are those which are bigger. Those ones you can make within 30 minutes. Almost everybody can afford this,” she says.

They come in different sizes and colours and are filled with yarn before being placed into specially adapted bras with pockets.

The knitted prosthetics cost about $11 in comparison to about $170 for silicone breasts, making them out of reach financial for many.

Mary says in addition to their affordability, knitting the prostheses can be very therapeutic. She holds classes every week, teaching other women how to make the breasts and offering them a space to share their stories.

“Now when we meet, when we are together, we encourage one another. We uplift each other,” she says.

More than 6,700 Kenyan women are affected by breast cancer every year, leaving those who have mastectomies dealing with both the physical and psychological scars.

The knitted breasts help them restore their self-confidence and gives them the courage to face society.