Krochet Kids to raise money, awareness for foreign cause

By Morgan Eads

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If one hopes to change the world, he or she can start by buying a hat.

Krochet Kids is a nonprofit organization working to help more than 150 women in Uganda and Peru provide for their families and become independent of governmental aid.

The women are taught to crochet and are employed to make handmade hats and scarves to be sold by the organization.

Kohl Crecelius, co-creator of Krochet Kids, is coming to speak to students at Worsham Theater on Friday at 9 p.m.

Crecelius will speak about the organization, how it started, the effects it is having and the future plans for the organization.

After the lecture, there will be a meet-and-greet where attendees will have the opportunity to purchase some of Krochet Kids’ products.

Members of the Engaging Issues Committee of the Student Activities Board worked to bring the organization to campus and believe the program will be a positive experience.

“It’s a really interesting story. How it started and what they do is really inspiring,” said Calvin Penn, Engaging Issues Committee chair and political science and international studies freshman.

Engaging Issues Committee chair and integrated strategic communications sophomore Emily Damron agreed the program will be an enjoyable occasion.

“It’s going to be a really great event,” she said. “The speaker is very interesting and it would be good for a wide variety of people.”

The director of the Engaging Issues Committee and human nutrition sophomore Sydney Dobson decided the organization itself is worth looking into for the event.

“I loved that it is an organization that isn’t just about the money but really about helping people,” Dobson said.

This program seeks not only to teach about Krochet Kids, but also to inspire students to take action of their own, some committee members said.

“We’re bringing him to campus to let people know about that specific organization, but also to teach about some of the obstacles people face in that area of the world and hopefully get people involve with trying to help,” Penn said.

Even though those helped by this program are not close in proximity, the aid provided is vitally important, Dobson said.

“Even though it is another country and people may think it doesn’t affect them, we are all one world and we would hope that if we were in this position others would come help us,” she said. “I really hope that this opens peoples’ eyes to what is going on in the world and what they can do to help others.”