/ Krochet Kids International gained not-profit status in January 2008, and has its HQ in Costa Mesa, California.

/ Krochet Kids International business model is founded on the principle of empowering the women it works with in Gulu, Uganda and Peru. The women enter a three year training program where they work for the brand and are paid a fair wage, and are provided with education and one-on-one local mentorship.

/ Krochet Kids International reports it employs 122 women in Gulu, Northern Uganda and 38 women in Peru.

/ In 2013, Krochet Kids International launched its Cut & Sew factory at Krochet Kids Peru which enabled the brand to employ more people and create new product categories.

/ Krochet Kids International reports that 100% of public donations go directly toward funding its program initiatives on the ground.

/ Krochet Kids International reports its lead times are 90 days, that it makes 200,000+ garments annually, that it releases 4+ collections annually, and that it intentionally designs its products to be classic in style so that they can last for 5-10 years if not indefinitely.

/ Krochet Kids International reports it runs programs in both Uganda and Peru, and owns the facilities where its products are made.

/ Krochet Kids International shares the story of how it’s crocheted hats are made in a video filmed at the brands Gulu, Uganda Headquarters.

/ Every product that Krochet Kids International produce is hand-signed by the person who made it. The workers profiles are displayed on the brand’s website so that the customer can search for and read about the woman who made each product. The brand also has a mechanism that allows customers to write thank you notes to the woman who made their product.

/ Krochet Kids International shares the names of the workers in its alpaca yarn supply chain, from the farmer, to the shearer and the yarn factory, Mitchell Group, in Arequipa.

/ The brand reports that its Krochet program in Gulu, Uganda is currently working with 122 workers and provides a fair and consistent income to its workers. The brand commits to working with each crocheter for a minimum of 3 years to provide training and mentorship through personal budgeting, savings, loaning and business management topics.

/ Krochet Kids International reports its Peru program currently has 38 workers. Local Peruvian staff undertake home visits to assess the needs of individuals and their families, to create a baseline measure. The brand starts by providing a job and steady income for the workers and couples that with education and one-on-one local mentorship.

/ Krochet Kids International reports that 3 months after graduating from its program, over 80% of its graduates have started their own businesses, and that over half of them are employing other community members through their businesses.

/ Krochet Kids International reports it employs local social workers to provide one-on-one guidance to its workers. In 2014 this involved 11,700 mentorship hours and 120 training hours.

/ Krochet Kids International reports that it commits to paying its workers above the fair wage guide minimum, that in Peru, its hourly wage is more than 40% above the fair wage guide minimum, and in Uganda, its hourly wage is more than 400% above the fair wage guide minimum.

/ The brand states that its average weekly workload is 40 hours in Peru and 30 hours in Uganda.  Within this hourly schedule there is 3-4 hours a month built in for educational courses and meetings with mentors.

/ The brand works with an artisan yarn producer in Peru to source its Alpaca yarns, and uses natural undyed colours.

/ In November 2016, Krochet Kids International intends to release a collection called Curated, with products made from a combination of recycled and natural fibres.

/ The brand reports that it does not have any animal welfare policies, but that none of its products harm animals.

/ Krochet Kids International use hand-powered knitting machines in its Peru factory, and reports that the majority of its products are made using hand-power and/or are handmade.

/ Krochet Kids International states it does not currently have a sustainable packaging policy in place.

/ The brand does not have any policies in place to limit the use or impact of hazardous chemicals in its supply chain, however it reports that Krochet Kids International chooses its fabrics in an effort to ensure its impact is limited.

/ The brand hopes to extend its program to other areas of the world in the future.

/ Krochet Kids International reports that it is in the process of becoming GOTS certified for its organic apparel production in Peru.

/ The brand’s aim is to continue to use sustainable materials in its products.

/ Krochet Kids International reports that 100% of public donations go directly toward funding its program initiatives on the ground.

/ In 2012, Krochet Kids International established a SACCO (Savings and Credit Cooperative) in Uganda, which is run entirely by the women and functions as a bank. The women can deposit and withdraw their money and also take out loans, which gives them a safe place to save their money without high membership fees, and also accessibility to low interest loans.

/ In 2012, Krochet Kids International established a childcare facility for its workers in Peru, less than a 20 second walk from its facility, which the workers can use for 1 sol a day, or approximately 40 cents.

/ Krochet Kids International has released an ebook, A Simple Guide to Measuring Social Impact, as a guide for other businesses to use.

/ Krochet Kids International business model is founded on the principle of empowering the women it works with in Uganda and Peru.  The women enter a three year program where they work for the brand and are paid a fair wage. The program has 3 additional elements to it:

• An education curriculum that lasts 2-3 years.
• A one-on-one mentorship program.
• Access to credit for future business development.

The brand monitors & evaluates its social impact work through the measurement of 45 key indicators for every woman in its program every month, and tracks the results through an online monitoring tool.

/ In November 2016, Krochet Kids International intends to release a collection called Curated, with products made from a combination of recycled and natural fibres.

/ Krochet Kids International has developed a platform to capture media, profile information, and social impact data on every worker who is a part of its programs globally.  This tool allows the brands customers to connect with the woman who made their product through an online profile.  There is a built-in mechanism which allows customers to write thank you notes to the woman who made their product.

/ The brand reports that it hosts an annual campaign, What’s it Worth, where its customer is able to name the price of the products that they are going to purchase.

KOHL CRECELIUS, CO-FOUNDER & CEO | AS QUOTED IN GLOBAL CITIZEN

“The goal of our work is to provide a holistic set of program services that equip and empower women in every area of their lives.”

KOHL CRECELIUS, CO-FOUNDER & CEO | AS QUOTED IN HUFFINGTON POST

“This is a model of empowerment for communities. They earn a fair, consistent income, which provides all their immediate needs – they send their kids to school, get them medicine and eat healthy meals.”