Documenting the work of CNN Hero, renown child and human rights activist Betty Makoni and her organization, Girl Child Network, Tapestries of Hope follows the journey to healing taken by the girls who arrive at GCN daily. Caught in the crossfire of a country devastated by poverty, limited medicine and the increasing use of girls as charms to heal illness, Tapestries of Hope allows us to witness the resiliency of these girls who refuse to be defined by their abuse. The movie is scheduled to help raise awareness of the International Violence Against Women Act (I-VAWA) and urge audience members to contact their representatives.
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Director Michealene Cristini Risley travelled to Zimbabwe to explore the rape and AIDS crisis in the country. She had previously befriended Betty Makoni, a born and raised Zimbabwean, and got to know about Makoni's organization, The Girl Child Network, which aims to re-empower abused kids and provides a network of protection for these girls.
The stories were told by the girls of Zimbabwe and Makoni was the main cast for this film. Throughout the film, Makoni helps these girls to become re-empowered and find their voice. Part of healing process for girls is about speaking out about the crimes committed agains them. During filming Risley and her assistant were arrested and incarcerated . The film was also seized by the Zimbabwean Intelligence Office (C.I.O). However, the team managed to retrieve the footage before being deported from Zimbabwe.
