The Fiber and Craft Entrepreneurial Development Center - Rwanda Knits

Meet the Teachers Meet the Manager Meet the Knitters

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.

THE STORIES OF TWO TEACHERS

Furaha Mukamusoni

Furaha and most of her family escaped from the violence in Congo by running with her family. Unfortunately, her father was killed during their escape. Furaha was in her early 20's when she arrived at the Kiziba refugee camp in Kibuye, Rwanda. When Clement's donation of 25 knitting machines arrived at the camp, Furaha quickly became very proficient on them and during the knitting of the Scarves for Peace that were put into Grammy Gift Bags in 2004, she was the top knitter in the camp. As an incentive to do well, the woman knitting the most scarves would be given the title of "knitting teacher" for the camp. Furaha traveled to Kigali to learn more from another knitting machine teacher there and soon became AVVAIS' (Association of Widows Affected by and Infected with HIV/AIDS) knitting teacher. Nearly all of what Furaha makes with Rwanda Knits she sends to her family still at the Kiziba camp.

Esperance Nyirarusimbi

Esperance, now 26, her sister and one brother were the only members of her family who survived the Genocide by hiding in the woods near her home. For three months, she and her sister would only hunt for food at night, returning to the forest during the day. After the Genocide was over, she learned her brother had survived as well. He recounted to her how their father and many family members were killed. Esperance now lives with her brother and, until Rwanda Knits, survived by subsistence farming on her father's land. Before Rwanda Knits, Esperance had no income. Since the Rwanda Knits project officially began in June of 2005, Esperance has made 480,000 frw (or $850). This in a country whose per capita income is just over $1 per day.

Rwanda Knits' other teachers are:


Emacule Iribagiza	Irene Kabagire	Theodosie Mukayisenga	Emerita Uwamariya

In May, 2006, the Rwanda Knits teachers were honored with a Teaching Certificate and a certificate of business training completion.

MEET THE MANAGER

Geofrey Katushabe, Rwanda Knits' Project Manager


Geofrey helping a knitter at AVEGA	Geofrey working with Furaha at AVVAIS	Cari Clement & Geofrey Katushabe

MEET THE KNITTERS

There are 17 associations whose knitting cooperatives part of the Rwanda Knits project. This section gives you a glimpse into the knitters' lives and learning. While we do not have photos of each of the 17 cooperatives, we will be adding them after every trip to Rwanda. We will also be updating them all to highlight the achievements of these new knitters.

ABASA, Butare, Southern Province
AVEGA (Association of Widows from the April, 1994 Genocide), Kigali
AVEGA, Rwamagana
AVEGA, Gisenyi
AVVAIS (Association of Widows Affected by and Infected with HIV/AIDS), Nyamirambo, Kigali City
BENIMPUHWE, Nyamirambo, Kigali City
BUHORO, located in Gitarama, Southern Province
DIAN FOSSEY CENTER, Ruhengeri, Northern Province
DUHOZANYE, Butare, Southern Province
IMPORE, Kacyicu area, Kigali
GITARAMA WOMEN, Gitarama, Southern Province
MBWIRANDUMVA, Kigali
NYAGARATARE WOMEN, Nyagatare, Eastern Province
RWANDA WOMEN NETWORK, Village of Hope, Kigali
WOMEN FOR WOMEN, Kigali