RWANDA KNITS provides hand-operated, American-made knitting machines, technical and business training to Rwandan and refugee women living in Rwanda to enable them to increase their incomes through economically sustainable knitting cooperatives, producing garments for both the domestic and export markets.

Through a USAID grant to our sister Rwanda-based NGO — Rwandans and Americans in Partnership (RAP) — Rwanda Knits has enabled these women to earn a living through making and selling their knitted goods. The organization has provided over 600 knitting machines and training to over 1,200 women in 17 cooperatives throughout the country. Rwanda is one of the smallest countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The project has been described as one of USAID Rwanda's most successful income-producing projects.

The Rwanda Knits Yarn Bank
Over 1,200 knitters have been trained by Rwanda Knits' seven traveling teachers using yarn donated by Caron International. Since their training in the spring and summer of 2006, many orders for school uniform sweaters, soccer team hats, gorilla tracker hats (to sell to tourists), and other orders have been secured.
The yarn required for these orders must be custom made and the knitters need your help! Rwanda Knits and FA-CED have secured a yarn manufacturer in Turkey who will produce a high quality acrylic yarn (required for knitting school sweaters) at a very good price. While a donor has funded a small initial purchase of yarn, the cost to ship it from Turkey, yarn reorders, orders of additional colors and transportation costs to distribute the yarn to the 17 cooperatives — many located in rural areas — have yet to be funded. To fill current orders, the knitters need nearly 800 pounds of yarn, more than the initial order, so they need your help. When they fill these orders, they will have enough savings to be able to reorder the yarn on their own — learning how to build a business from the ground up. For women with limited skills, education and virtually no income, Rwanda Knits has created new hope for them — and you can be a part.

FACED is part of the Centers for Social Responsibility (CSR), a registered 501c3 nonprofit corporation. All contributions are tax deductible.

MEET THE TEACHERS

Rwanda Knits has 6 traveling teachers whose job it is to travel the country to teach the recipient groups how to use the machines. These talented women did not have any income prior to the Rwanda Knits program, but are now knitting for income as well as teaching. They stay in touch with each other through their mobile phones which they have been able to purchase from their earnings.

Cari Clement travels to Rwanda regularly and conducts technical and QC training for the teachers who then teach the techniques to the knitters at each of the cooperatives.
You can help knitters feed their families by making a donation to the Rwanda Knits Yarn Bank. Please log onto www.rwandaknits.org and click on Donate.