The ruminations of an artist on art & life...art quilts, beading, knitting, drawing, painting, printmaking, bookmaking are all my passions, I love to explore creating....

Friday, June 05, 2009

Rwanda Knits: changing lives one stitich at a time

I recently stumbled across this wonderful inspiring project in Rwanda and just had to share it here! Teaching women to knit---using knitting machines has empowered them....

THE RWANDA KNITS PROJECT

"RWANDA KNITS provides hand-operated, American-made knitting machines, technical, and business training to low-income Rwandan women. Our program enables them to increase their incomes through economically sustainable knitting cooperatives, through which they produce garments for their domestic market and export markets."




"Through a USAID grant to our sister Rwanda-based NGO, Rwandans Allied for Peace and Progress, Rwanda Knits has enabled over 1,200 women to earn a living through making and selling their knitted goods. The organization has provided over 600 knitting machines and training to women in 17 associations throughout the country. The project has been described as one of USAID Rwanda's most successful income-producing projects. Today these associations have formed 29 knitting cooperatives who are registering as primary cooperatives, soon to be forming the country's first Secondary (umbrella-type) Artisan Cooperative."

1 comment:

Mary Timme said...

Well good for them. It is the last country in the world I'd think of for a knitting machine or really a machine of any kind. I'm so glad it is working for them.