Once I was in Africa, I found out that a good friend of mine from college, Adam, was working with an organization called Krochet Kids located northern Uganda, in a city called Gulu. I told him about my desire to perhaps pursue getting involved in a ministry creating opportunities for local individuals, so he invited me to visit and check out his organization, as well as a few others.
We were only able to take a few days off of ministry, so we crammed in as much as we could in a short amount of time. Gulu has the highest concentration of relief and aid organizations in Africa. I am sure most people have heard of Invisible Children, which is located in Gulu, but honestly I was shocked by how many foreigners we saw in Gulu. Especially since we have only worked with local contacts for the last three months, it was a strange feeling to be surrounded by so many Americans.
It ended up being a great couple of days and quite the educational opportunity for me. We just so happen to be there during St. Patricks Day and so it was fun getting to celebrate that with other foreigners. Most of the time we spent hanging out at Krochet Kids, seeing what they do, and messing with Adam while he worked. Thankfully they also had wireless internet, which was a huge blessing, as I was able to keep myself updated on all that was going on back home in Japan and speak with my family.
Just to give you a small explanation regarding Krochet Kids… Krochet Kids is an organization desiring to empower people to rise above poverty through a sustainable development program. Currently they have taught over 88 women how to crochet hats that are sold in the U.S. at different boutiques, Nordstroms, and online. The women are given 20 hours worth of work a week, then during the rest of their time, they sit in on classes that teach them financial planning, how to create their own business, and other skill that will help them succeed in the future. While we were there, we also got to get our hands dirty a bit by helping them move some giant shelves, and help weigh and stock their threads. It was cool just to check out their entire operation, hearing how the organization began, and what they desire to do in the future. Check out Krochet Kids at krochetkids.org.
We also had the opportunity to visit two other organizations doing work in Gulu as well:
One Mango Tree: an organization involved in selling fair-trade products, while providing livelihoods for women in Gulu. onemangotree.com
31 Bits: following a similar business model to Krochet Kids, however they make paper beads that are then used for bracelets and necklaces. 31bits.com
