Macee Baker (above) is an ex-Starbucks barista and a retiring full-time student from Spokane, Washington. She graduates this December with her bachelor’s degree in Peace Studies from Whitworth University. In her free moments she enjoys distracting herself with reading, baking, naps, a good cup of coffee, and listening to music.
On January 4, 2013 Macee will travel to Lima, Peru as an intern for Krochet Kids International (KKI). Check out their online shop for stylish winter gear and holiday gifts.
Your pal WanderChic has had the good fortune to get to know Macee this semester in Costa Rica. Recently Macee gave me the lowdown on her upcoming internship and KKI’s good work. She also submitted the photos (including ones of her at Costa Rica’s only Starbucks, with her international Costa Rican host family, and in San Jose’s INBioparque).
Here’s a video with more info about KKI, and a look at Macee’s application video (made by fellow student Danny Parker).
WanderChic: Tell us a bit about Krochet Kids International. What makes KKI distinct?
Macee Baker: Krochet Kids International (KKI) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to empower people to rise above poverty through – you guessed it – crocheting hats. The idea of the organization was actually born in my hometown of Spokane, WA, by three young men: Kohl, Travis, and Stewart. I heard about the idea while in high school before the organization itself was born.
Once I discovered what KKI was about and the people involved, I knew I had to participate. Their dream in starting the organization was like the old saying, “Give a man a fish and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” They wanted to create a sustainable means of employment for those in poverty and support holistic growth of individuals and communities where they worked. Their initial project begain in Gulu, Uganda with ten women.
What makes KKI stand out in the sea of non-profits are their values: people, their product, and love. They have been able to cultivate these values through mentoring programs for the women they employ to create the KKI products.
They believe in quality handmade products that not only serve as a stylish accessory but a means of social change. This can be seen on each handmade product’s tag, where the woman who made the product signs her name. You can look up the woman who made the hat on KKI’s website and learn about their story.
Last but certainly not least, KKI strives for all of their actions and intentions to remain rooted in love because when love is at the base of action, lasting and powerful change can occur. I realize I may have just given “the speech” to sell you on KKI because truly, this organization is incredible. But more than that, Kohl, Travis, Stewart – and all of the people that work on behalf of Krochet Kids – are part of a loving community. I’ve experienced this firsthand through volunteering with them, and in some small way have also become part of that KKI family. For that I am eternally grateful.
WC: Which Krochet Kids products are most popular? Which products would be especially appealing to women who travel?
MB: The two most popular products that I have noticed, and also purchased myself, have been the Betty hat and the infamous LOVE Africa tee. This t-shirt displays the original logo for their start-up project in Uganda. I won’t say how many different variations of the shirt I own, but they are very comfortable and great converstaion starters!
For traveling ladies I would recommend the Betty or Lucille hats. Both are very versatile and comfortable. It just depends on how you like to wear your hats, whether a little tighter or loose-fitting. The colors available for the two hats are also great colors to accessorize with and dress up or dress down.
Another wonderful product that I have yet to purchase but am hoping to receive as a Christmas gift is KKI’s new infinity scarf, the Marie, that was handmade at their most recent project in Lima, Peru. If you’re a scarf-lover like me, then I think that this item would be a great choice because it’s lightweight, soft, and handmade in Peru by wonderful women!
My favorite product from KKI has actually been one of the very first hats I bought from them that’s the original version of the Betty, in a darker sky-blue. I love this hat, not only because it’s comfortable but because it was made by Alanyo Teddy in Uganda. I learned about Teddy at a Krochet Kids fundraising banquet. Teddy is one of the first crocheters that started with KKI in Uganda and has continued to develop her leadership skills and mentor other women in the program. You can read more about Teddy here.
WC: What will your KKI internship involve?
MB: While I’m in Peru, my internship will primarily be product quality management (my official title is Production Assistant). While I’ll be doing quality control over the products, I will also assist in other upcoming KKI projects. Beginning in January I will be based in southern part of Lima for six months and luckily there will be two other interns. The three of us will be living in the “intern flat” near the southern region of the city.
WC: How will this internship fit into your long-term plans? What do you hope to gain from the experience?
MB: This internship with Krochet Kids has been a long-term goal for quite some time. The organization and the development model they have created is what inspired me to look further into non-profit organizations doing similar work, how those entities function within civil society, and what I could possibly do to help.
That said, as I finish my last semester of college for my bachelor’s degree, my hope is to work for a non-profit or non-government organization doing progressive grass-roots development work like that of Krochet Kids.
Where do I fit into the picture in terms of the work I want to do? I’m still in the process of figuring that out. One thing I am certain of though is that I want to work for an organization and promote a cause that empowers people to reach their potential in this one life we have.
For this experience in Peru I’m looking forward to getting to do hands-on work with the wonderful people working for KKI, especially the women making the hats. Though I won’t be working directly with the ladies, to even have the opportunity to spend time with them and get to know them in my free time will be an adventure and a blessing. It’s also exciting to know that I will get to see their development model in action and to just be in the midst of that and learn all I can.
WC: I’ve heard that your departure date is soon. What are you doing in the meantime? How’s the preparation going?
MB: The departure date is soon, so soon! Currently I am studying abroad in Costa Rica for my final semester and I fly back to Washington on December 15. I leave for Peru on January 4. Initially I couldn’t believe I was agreeing to tackle this endeavor. I was and am excited beyond belief to have such an opportunity.
I immediately began planning how I would fund this adventure. The internship is for six months and unpaid. A bit crazy, right? But why not?! So I decided to sell my car, my beloved Subaru, a difficult decision that was also a total no-brainer. I’ve also been talking with friends and family back home about this opportunity and brainstorming ideas for fundraising, which has been pretty successful. At the same time, I have also been finishing up course work for my classes and getting things in order to make sure the transition goes smoothly. Despite the chaos that has ensued since accepting the position, I have my family and friends to thank for their unending support and enthusiasm, without which I would be lost.
WC: And I have to ask: do you crochet?
MB: Unfortunately, I don’t crochet, which is quite funny because whenever I mention Krochet Kids, naturally this is the question that is often asked. Which is not to say that I wouldn’t love to learn! In the meantime, I’ll leave the crocheting to the expertise of the wonderful women in Uganda and Peru.
