Crocheting Their Way to a Better World

A little over a year ago, we were contacted by the guys of Krochet Kids International, a group of friends (mostly men!) who have taken their love of crochet and used it to help fight poverty in Uganda.

They teach women in Uganda how to crochet beanies. They then sell the beanies in stores around the U.S. The women make higher wages than they normally can make locally, and are able to support their families. In addition, Stewart Ramsey, executive director of KKI, said:

KKI has recently instituted a micro-finance program for all the ladies that crochet. So while they make money for the hats they produce, they are also learning how to save, invest, and loan the money they are earning. Through this program our ladies have elected to form their own community-based organization and take loans out form one another and other village members. KKI only provides training or the initiative through a micro-finance organization for THEIR ideas. They are learning how to develop themselves and become self-sufficient, rather than KKI handing out money and creating more dependency. This is something we are very excited about.

The guys met in college and were able to combine their crochet hobby with their social conscience, creating an organization that truly touches the lives of people in Uganda. To learn more about KKI, visit their MySpace page or listen to the YarnCraft (our knitting & crochet audio-podcast) episode in which Travis and Ryan of KKI talk more about the organization.

Related links:

• YarnCraft Episode 5 :: Men Who Knit & Crochet