Kenana Knitters make some thoughtful critters!

Marafiki Arts looks for any opportunity to affiliate itself with organizations that put skills into the hands of those who need it most with sustainability in mind. That’s why we are so excited about our recent partnership with Kenana Knitters.

Many similarities begin to appear between these two organizations: Both were started by native Kenyans, and continue to benefit other native Kenyan women. Both teach hand crafting and sustainable skills, and use the products made to raise funds to support the women who work with their hands. Both organizations seek distribution of the hand-crafted materials on a world-wide scale, which allows for a cultural exchange of not only goods but also values and education. Marafiki Arts and Kenana Knitters seek to use education on a global stage to bring awareness to issues present in rural areas of the developing world and to the interconnectedness of communities both on a small and large scale.

Kenana Knitters’ process of creating the toys, home decor, clothing and gifts made and sold through their organization starts from using wool sourced from local farmers. The wool is washed, carded, hand-spun, and often dyed with natural dyes made from local plants. These raw materials are hand stitched into products that carry the stamp of the individual in each stitch. Kenana Knitters’ hand-made toys carry a spark of individuality and attention to detail that make these products all the more personal and meaningful. These plush toys come in a variety of choices- from zebra and monkey cotton cuddly toys to lion and elephant hand puppets.

 What makes us the most excited is Marafiki Arts’ current collaboration with Kenana Knitters. The women of Kenana Knitters visited the women who work with Marafiki Arts in Wote, Kenya who are diligently carding and spinning yarn from our organic cotton. The Kenana Knitters were so inspired by the work of these women that they are currently making a new line based off of Marafiki’s yarns. This collaboration further solidifies both organizations’ goals of creating community through the production of sustainable businesses. Most importantly, the individuality of each organization comes through the hand work that makes each thread of yarn, and each stitch unique and full of positive intentions for the future.