There are many great things in this world, and two of them are my love of yarn and the ability for the Internet to come together and support something good.
It seems like one of the best channels for harnessing the power of people (or the Wisdom of Crowds, if you will) is that wonderful website: Kickstarter. Today, I'm writing to help spread the word about a wonderful group called Cambodia Knits, who has developed a Kickstarter campaign to launch a new line of crochet toys and provide work for more people in vulnerable communities.
From the campaign page:
CK produces a cute and lovable range of hand-knitted woolen toys; we’ve been knitting animals and monsters for 4 years adding finger puppets and magnets along the way. Our focus is on creating quality products with quality materials—making sure each individual piece receives the same care and attention that we hope you will give once it arrives to you!
An added bonus of choosing one of our little woolen wonders is that your purchase will help to support local community members in Cambodia by providing them with sustainable employment. CK believes that employment opportunities help empower marginalized communities to find a way out of poverty, especially when their work is fairly paid and helps to address the challenges they face. As a social enterprise, we invest in these communities because we believe that putting people ahead of profit results in a great product.
By supporting Cambodia Knits, you'll also be able to see some of the resulting products in person (hint: these will make some great holiday gifts for wee ones - and maybe even adults - alike). They have a limited number of each creature (a bug eyed owl, a rotund pig, a dorky one-eyed alien, and a pensive elephant) available for shipping in early December – these should arrive in time for Christmas! And for an extra $2, they’ll even wrap and add a gift card.
For more information about how you can help back the Kickstarter campaign, and for the rewards you'll receive after pledging, make sure to check out their page!