Can a crochet hook change the world? If you ask Kohl Crecelius, Travis Hartanov and Stewart Ramsey, the answer might be: For sure, dude!
The three are longtime friends from the Pacific Northwest now best known as The Krochet Kids. And through their fledgling nonprofit outfit, they’re putting women in Uganda and Peru to work crocheting hats and accessories for anyone who wants to look cool for a cause.
Crochet? The three took up the seemingly uncool hobby in high school as a way to sport their own unique look on the slopes near their home of Spokane, Wash.
Crecelius was first, learning from his older brother, then passed it on to his buddies. Pretty soon, friends were clamoring for hats, too, and they put their crochet hooks to work for cash.
The Spokane paper dubbed them “The Krochet Kids” and the name stuck. But they still thought it was just a hobby as they moved on to three different colleges, taking up surfing and traveling to such places as the Dominican Republic and Bali, Indonesia.
Then Ramsey returned from a summer volunteering in Uganda. While there, he toured refugee camps in which an entire generation had grown up dependent on charity. He came back with a proposal for his friends that involved reviving the old crochet circle.
Jobs are scarce in Third World countries, especially for women. And startup business costs can be high. But to crochet, all you need is a hook, some yarn and a stitch of time.
Instead of simply donating food or money, the Krochet Kids dug their hooks in and traveled to Uganda to teach 10 women in refugee camps, where they had fled from rebel armies. The war in the northern part of that country has lasted for 23 years, is being fought in part by child soldiers and has been called one of the most neglected humanitarian emergencies in the world.
Crecelius said he was determined to make a difference. “Being paid a fair wage to do so would allow for them, for the first time, to provide for their families and begin planning for the future,” he wrote on the Krochet Kids website.
Crecelius told The Daily: “We had friends that were working in the area who were able to make some introductions for us to local organizations. We relied heavily on local knowledge, and still do.”
The experiment proved a success. “While we’re set up as a nonprofit organization, we’ve chosen to not operate in the traditional manner, that is, fundraising the money we need to operate. Instead, the business structure supports our endeavors,” said Crecelius. Sales receipts cover their operating costs and provide a living wage for the women who work for them.
The Kids gained nonprofit status in 2007. After college graduation, they settled in Costa Mesa, Calif., and made frequent trips to Uganda.
This summer, they expanded operations into Peru, proving their business model could work beyond Uganda. And their newest location just happens to be near some of the finest yarns and materials available anywhere.
Krochet Kids International sells such items as totes, hats, clothing and laptop sleeves in department stores and skate shops in nearly every U.S. state. They employ 160 people in Uganda and Peru and 14 at home in California.
Each product comes with a label bearing the name of the woman who produced it, allowing purchasers the chance to contact the maker through the Krochet Kids website, if even to just say thanks.
The makers tell their stories on the website, talking about their favorite pastimes and their dreams for the future.
One of them, a young woman with the remarkable name of Ocira Cindrella, says of the Krochet Kids: “I love you all and without you my life and that of my family wouldn’t have been the way it is now, may God bless you and protect you.”
Crecelius said: “We’re not your typical crafters. We even tried to drop [crochet] a few times. But I’m glad we didn’t. Working with my friends, surfing and changing the world — this is a dream scenario! Really!”
The three are longtime friends from the Pacific Northwest now best known as The Krochet Kids. And through their fledgling nonprofit outfit, they’re putting women in Uganda and Peru to work crocheting hats and accessories for anyone who wants to look cool for a cause.
Crochet? The three took up the seemingly uncool hobby in high school as a way to sport their own unique look on the slopes near their home of Spokane, Wash.
Crecelius was first, learning from his older brother, then passed it on to his buddies. Pretty soon, friends were clamoring for hats, too, and they put their crochet hooks to work for cash.
The Spokane paper dubbed them “The Krochet Kids” and the name stuck. But they still thought it was just a hobby as they moved on to three different colleges, taking up surfing and traveling to such places as the Dominican Republic and Bali, Indonesia.
Then Ramsey returned from a summer volunteering in Uganda. While there, he toured refugee camps in which an entire generation had grown up dependent on charity. He came back with a proposal for his friends that involved reviving the old crochet circle.
Jobs are scarce in Third World countries, especially for women. And startup business costs can be high. But to crochet, all you need is a hook, some yarn and a stitch of time.
Instead of simply donating food or money, the Krochet Kids dug their hooks in and traveled to Uganda to teach 10 women in refugee camps, where they had fled from rebel armies. The war in the northern part of that country has lasted for 23 years, is being fought in part by child soldiers and has been called one of the most neglected humanitarian emergencies in the world.
Crecelius said he was determined to make a difference. “Being paid a fair wage to do so would allow for them, for the first time, to provide for their families and begin planning for the future,” he wrote on the Krochet Kids website.
Crecelius told The Daily: “We had friends that were working in the area who were able to make some introductions for us to local organizations. We relied heavily on local knowledge, and still do.”
The experiment proved a success. “While we’re set up as a nonprofit organization, we’ve chosen to not operate in the traditional manner, that is, fundraising the money we need to operate. Instead, the business structure supports our endeavors,” said Crecelius. Sales receipts cover their operating costs and provide a living wage for the women who work for them.
The Kids gained nonprofit status in 2007. After college graduation, they settled in Costa Mesa, Calif., and made frequent trips to Uganda.
This summer, they expanded operations into Peru, proving their business model could work beyond Uganda. And their newest location just happens to be near some of the finest yarns and materials available anywhere.
Krochet Kids International sells such items as totes, hats, clothing and laptop sleeves in department stores and skate shops in nearly every U.S. state. They employ 160 people in Uganda and Peru and 14 at home in California.
Each product comes with a label bearing the name of the woman who produced it, allowing purchasers the chance to contact the maker through the Krochet Kids website, if even to just say thanks.
The makers tell their stories on the website, talking about their favorite pastimes and their dreams for the future.
One of them, a young woman with the remarkable name of Ocira Cindrella, says of the Krochet Kids: “I love you all and without you my life and that of my family wouldn’t have been the way it is now, may God bless you and protect you.”
Crecelius said: “We’re not your typical crafters. We even tried to drop [crochet] a few times. But I’m glad we didn’t. Working with my friends, surfing and changing the world — this is a dream scenario! Really!”
