Stitches to strength, crafting resilience in Tzaneen

As a teen, Grace Mohlabe fled her rural Limpopo village in Tzaneen chasing opportunity.

She found only homelessness in Polokwane, where survival forced her into sex work.

A 2013 meeting with Corinne Sandenbergh, founder of the women-led initiative Ani Vileli, unraveled a new path.

Ani Vileli equips vulnerable Tzaneen women with crochet skills, transforming upcycled twine into marketable bathmats and baskets.

Each stitch weaves economic independence, anchoring fractured lives.

Grace joined the programme two years later—now a young mother of two—harnessing fierce resolve to rebuild her family foundation.

Today, Grace stands transformed, artisan, trainer, provider.

“I needed change for my children,” she states. “Ani Vileli made it possible. Now I earn, feed my family, and teach others.” Under Sandenbergh’s mentorship, she evolved from trainee to leader, guiding fellow women toward self-reliance.

Corporate partnership amplifies this impact. Since 2019, Shoprite has supplied over 3,000 twine balls to Ani Vileli, including 500 recently delivered through its Tzaneen store.

Sanjeev Raghubir, Shoprite Group Chief Sustainability Officer, emphasizes: “This initiative proves practical skills uplift communities. Supporting grassroots efforts fosters dignity, resilience, and lasting change.”

Grace Mohlabe journey embodies a universal truth: transformation is crafted not given, stitch by stubborn stitch, by those who dare to believe in human potential.