This basket is hand-crocheted by Beninya Kathuure. Crochet work is a traditional craft in Tharaka Nithi, Kenya.
 
Beninya is married with four children, three boys and one girl. She feels very lucky that this program has helped them to live in harmony and much more peace at home. They are able to afford food and buy new clothing. Her kids used to get sent home because they couldn’t pay school fees, but now they stay in school. They used to borrow land, and within the last few years have been able to afford land for farming and have built a house on their own property. 
 
Beninya says this project has significantly raised her and her family’s living standards. She is also forever grateful for the women she’s met; they are her friends for life because of their endless support. 
 
Merry-Go-Strong (501(c)(3)) and the Tharaka Women’s Welfare Program (TWWP) work with rural women in Tharaka Nithi Kenya. MGS provides the acrylic yarn to help the women get started and then buys the baskets when they are completed. TWWP manages the adult literacy groups and monitors the well-being of the women.
 
Proceeds from the resale of the baskets go to initiatives like illuminating homes, providing water collection systems, and building a maker space for workshops and skill-building opportunities.
 
This basket comes with a photo of Beninya holding the basket she made.
 
Size: approximately 7"x 7"
Number of colors: 6
Material: Acrylic yarn
Maintenance: Machine wash in cold and air dry
Storage and shipping: this basket folds flat and is easy to ship and store