Rwanda Knits
Location: Rwanda
Grant Amount: $13,538
Grantee Website: www.rwandaknits.org/
Areas of Impact: Economic Sustainability
Mission of Rwanda Knits
To enable low-income Rwandan women to increase their incomes through economically sustainable knitting cooperatives, through which they produce garments for their domestic market and export markets.
Summary
Rwanda Knits provides hand-operated, American-made knitting machines and technical and business training to low-income Rwandan women. Dining for Women (DFW) donations will alleviate the costs associated with cooperative registration and training, as required by the Rwandan government, thus enabling their cooperatives to function independently. DFW support will directly assist Primary Cooperative Training, monthly meetings and training sessions the Union must hold during its first year, in Kigali, and training in business and fiscal management, marketing, product development, and human resources.
Why We Love This
Rwanda Knits has created the first women owned income producing cooperatives in Rwanda. Furthermore, Rwanda Knits does not have any paid administrative staff; Cari Clement and Laura Hanson are both volunteers. With DFW's help, 29 women’s knitting cooperatives will become independent businesses, and the women who own them will be economically self- sufficient.
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