By Anthony Marina
LIMA, Oct 5 (Reuters) - Behind the steel bars of Lima's Chorrillos Women's Prison, the rhythmic clatter of sewing machines and the snip of scissors mark a rush to meet a deadline.
Inmates of the high-security prison are hand-stitching velvet dolls and stringing together beaded necklaces, all bearing the face of Pope Leo, ahead of his November 6-17 trip to South America. The initiative, part of Peru's "productive prisons" program, aims to fund the women's reintegration into society.
"Right now, we are in 'pope mode'," said Nanny, an inmate who asked to remain anonymous as she carefully stuffed a doll with cotton. "We found out last year the pope held a Peruvian ID card, so we launched the idea of making a doll for everyone — children and adults alike."
The pope, born in the US as Robert Prevost, is a naturalized Peruvian who served as a missionary and bishop in the country for decades before Pope Francis brought him to Rome in 2023. He was elected pope in May 2025.
For the women, the work provides a mental escape and a way to support their families from afar. "We lose personal contact with our children, who suffer the most," Nanny said. "We may not be there in body, but we are there in soul and heart."
Among piles of fabric scraps, 78 inmates craft items ranging from $9 stuffed toys to intricate bracelets that are sold outside the prison.
For Judith Vargas, a Colombian national incarcerated for six years, the workshop is a rare chance to learn. "It distracts me and teaches me things I didn't know, like making earrings and necklaces," she said.
Prison warden Doris Nakandakari said while the program teaches vocational skills, the inmates are hoping for a spiritual reward. "Their greatest wish is for the pope to visit them ... to give them a blessing and the courage to keep moving forward," she said.
Peru is the final stop on Leo's regional tour, which includes Uruguay and Argentina.
(Reporting by Anthony Marina and Marco Aquino; Writing by Natalia Siniawski; Editing by Rod Nickel)
