OUR PARTNERS

Yahoo Employee Foundation

Yahoo Employee Foundation has supported Rwanda Knits with two one-year grants, the first for $32,000 in 2009 and the second for $40,000 in 2010. RK considers YEF its most important funding partner as, only through these grants has the organization been able to continue its business training of current and new Ingenzi Knit Union members. The 2010 grant will bring the IKU into 100% sustainability by the end of 2011.

Indego Africa

Indego Africa, an innovative social enterprise, works with women artisans in Rwanda on a Fair Trade basis to create sustainable solutions to systemic poverty in East Africa. Indego sells the artisans' products to wholesale and retail customers in the US.

Generation Rwanda (formerly ORPHANS OF RWANDA)

Generation Rwanda supports secondary school students whose parents were killed during the genocide and other socially vulnerable youth in Rwanda. Through an program started by Indego Africa, interns work with the artisan women to do training and post-workshop follow-up to assure the information learned is both retained and practiced. Rwanda Knits has begun its own intern program to teach the women computer and business skills.

Dining for Women

www.diningforwomen.org
Rwanda Knits is proud to be accepted as one of Dining for Women's supported programs, starting December, 2008. Dining for Women's website states: "Changing the world one dinner at a time." DFW empowers women living in extreme poverty by funding programs fostering good health, education, and economic self-sufficiency, and cultivates educational dinner circles inspiring individuals to make a difference through the power of collective giving.

United States Agency for International Development

USAID — Rwanda mission for USAID provided $99,000 grant to purchase the 600+ knitting machines and accessories and fund technical and business training for over 1,200 low-income Rwandan women.

Business Council for Peace

BPeace assists women business owners in conflict and post-conflict countries. Its primary countries of activity are Afghanistan and Rwanda. BPeace partners with Rwanda Knits to provide business training to the 17 cooperatives services by Rwanda Knits and expand its success to other artisan groups. Cari Clement is a member of BPeace.

United Nations Development Fund for Women

www.unifem.org
UNIFEM has partnered with Rwanda Knits to provide facilities and funding for the May 2006 business training for representatives of the 17 cooperatives.

Caron International

www.caron.com
Caron is a yarn manufacturer and manufacturer of the knitting machines used in Rwanda. The company has also donated machines, time, and yarn. Clement sold her company, Bond America, formerly a manufacturer of the knitting machines, to Caron early 2003. Caron supports the Rwanda Knits project through Clement's time and in other ways.

Senator Patrick Leahy

leahy.senate.gov
Senator Leahy's office has been a supporter of the Rwanda Knits project from its inception.

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

www.unhcr.org
UNHCR was the initial recipient of 60 knitting machines and training and was instrumental in encouraging the expansion of the project.

USA for UNHCR

www.usaforunhcr.org
USA funding organization for UNHCR that responded to initial letter of offer from Clement to donate 60 knitting machines and training to support a women's economic cooperative anywhere in the world. Through UNHCR, Rwanda was the first country to reply.

Made For Peace

www.madeforpeace.com
Anne Kellett, who has traveled with Clement to Rwanda and has assisted in training the knitters, established this site for those who wanted to purchase knitted items made by the Rwanda Knits cooperatives.

The Amber Chand Collection

www.amberchand.com
Online retailer selling products made by fair trade economic collectives around the world. Will be selling scarves made by the Rwanda Knits knitters.

Aid to Artisans

www.aidtoartisans.org
FACED received a $2,000 grant from Aid to Artisans in 2004. This funded the purchase of 26 knitting machines that were shipped with the USAID machines. 26 knitting machines would provide an income for nearly 60 women in rural Rwanda.

Millenium Villages

www.milleniumvillages.org
In 2007, Millennium Villages ordered 40 knitting machines for 80 women in Myange, Rwanda and in early 2008, they became the newest members of the Rwanda Knits family. MV is a partnership of Columbia University, Jeffrey Sachs and the United Nations with a mission to create 100% sustainable villages in developing countries.

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The Organization

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