The amazing womens co-op that is Kenana Knitters
Founded in 1998, Kenana Knitters based in Nakuru, Kenya, is both a delightfully fun store AND an amazing way for Kenyan women to generate themselves an income that isn’t backbreaking work in the flower fields.
Kenana Knitters is effectively a co-op I guess. Women (some 250 of them) can learn a valuable skill and put that skill to work generating an income that goes directly into their own hands. They produce quality products in their own time, when they can and can either knit at home or come to the community area where they can bring their children and socialise with other local women while earning an income.
Their products range from toys, to shawls to wraps to rugs and are both fashionable and amazingly well made. The environmental impact is negligable and this amazing community is enabling these women to improve their quality of life along with the ability to earn fair wages with flexible hours.
I’m not a shopper (as most of you know) but I could have easily spent hundreds of dollars in their delightful shop. The only thing that stopped me was the fact that I would have to carry it all home.
They do freight as well, however I just couldn’t spend the last of my money on their beautiful goods only to have to spend more to get it home. I will however be emailing them to get a quote for some postage in the VERY near future.
Inside The Kenana Knitters
Knitters creates a range of plush toys, home decor, clothing & accessories and unique gifts using 100% natural wool, which has been home spun, plant dyed and hand knitted with care.
Each item has the name of the lady who knitted/made it which is really nice. You know that the item you purchase has been produced from the initial wool to the finished product.
What is truly amazing is that many of the knitters don’t have a good enough understanding of arithmetic to learn to read a pattern, so patterns are learned off by heart, and then knitted!!
Kenana Knitters enables these women to work earning the same income they would in a flower farm but without the hard labor. Idel for the elderly ladies too.
Contact Info:
Kenana In Australia
The Kenana Story
Kenana Facebook Page
Let me know in the comments below what is your fave adorable knitted animal.