Once you have a design foundation, last minute announcements, reminders, events, news items and such are seamless. And the “we gotta get this out on the fly” or “this came up last minute” scenarios are comfortably attainable. I know my client’s palette, font choices, style…I have a library of images…we have a mailing list in order, etc. Voilà. While discussing upcoming ads, new product arrivals, news regarding cooperatives and the like with Sandy Ramsey, we realized it was important to tell the story of the Kenana Kritters and how this cooperative was making a big difference in many people’s lives. Not only is it inspiring, but it supports Artisans’ World Marketplace’s mission and informs its customers. As designer, I put together an email blast showing product, brief description, etc; rich, brown, earthy textured background added to the tone, and a link to the video from Africa. Like many businesses, we used Constant Contact for this e-newsletter to reach our customer base. Simple and to the point. And a beautiful, uplifting story.
If you want more, read on:
The Kenana Story
At the foot of the rising ground, which forms the Western wall of Kenya’s magnificent Great Rift Valley lays the tranquil farming community of Njoro. There, a group of Kenyan women, growing larger every day in number; gathers wool from the Kenana Farm and now all neighboring farms as the need demands. They wash, dye with all natural plant dyes, and mothproof with natural Pyrethrum Flower (like a daisy) all of the wool and then spin it on old bicycle wheels! They then produce the most precious hand knit animals available.
Unemployment runs 60-80% and those who have work are respected and looked to for the support of their extended family. Agricultural work is easier for the men to come by than the women-folk. Kenana Knitters was formed with the social aim of giving much needed income to local families, allowing the women to work. The success is ten-fold of the hopeful anticipation, thanks to our customers like YOU!
Starting with just a dozen women, the group has now grown to over 300 knitters and 400 spinners; and is increasing on a daily basis! More wool is needed than Kenana Sheep can supply, so we now buy wool from sheep farmers all over the region! The beneficiaries grow daily. It is an exciting adventure and one has never seen a group of happier women in the world. The women gather daily to knit and the speed of their flying fingers is not affected by the constant buzz of conversation. They are good at what they do, and they LOVE their work. Each lady signs her name to the story card that accompanies the product as she completes a piece.
With your support of their products, we now have a health facility on the farm and all ladies have been tested for AIDS and had all of the necessary “lady” health exams. When school opens, each Mom can now fully pay the tuition for her children! We’ve built a new large kitchen facility for lunch, and also with drying racks for the wool to dry on, when the rainy seasons hit. My emails of thanks to the knitters had been passed around for them to read and slowly the ladies came forth, admitting they could not read. May 2005, we set up a Literacy Program, offering different levels of reading lessons needed by the women. Reports are: “Every lady learning to read, has become a taller person, with pride”. Many of them needed glasses to see the pages (we wonder how they were knitting so well)! So again, thanks to our customers, we were able to purchase eyeglasses for all of the ladies. How exciting to part of this!
This project has been the most rewarding and self-fulfilling project any person could ever be part of! The ladies are an active part of society now and their self-pride is so beautiful to witness.
Lynne —- Your are like magic: Putting together this presentation in such a beautiful fashion. Sandy with Artisans’ World Marketplace, is a great lady, with a lot of genuine passion for helping those in need.
Thank you SO much for sharing the story of the Kenana Knitters!
Glo