Breast cancer awareness month: the women in T.N. turning yarn into hope

Some of the Saaisha volunteers who had put up a stall at an exhibition in T. Nagar recently Have you seen this motley group of women knitting crochet with colourful yarns at a public park or at a hotel lobby? They are member of Saaisha India, a not-for-profit charitable organisation, who provide free knitted and crocheted cotton breast prosthesis called “knockers” to mastectomy patients and cotton caps for paediatric cancer children. These knitted crochets are distributed to beneficiaries across India for individuals as well as in bulk to hospitals.More than 60 volunteers from Chennai make up the Tamil Nadu region. They knit at their own homes but meet once in two months at a common point for ‘filling’ sessions. They also come together at public events such as marathons, festivals, community gatherings to create awareness about breast cancer in particular about early detection.October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month or Pink October, these volunteers are fanning out to various locations in the city with their campaign. A ride on Chennai Metro is also being planned. If you are an avid knitter or are keen on supporting this cause, join them as a volunteer. There is no age group, they even volunteers who are in their 80’s.For details, visit saaishaindia.org/ Instagram @saaishaindia Published - October 17, 2026 10:57 pm IST