Jacque Larson, PRSL 340-02

Media Speech Krochet Kids Intl.

Specific Purpose: To motivate the audience to support the empowerment of women in Northern
Uganda by purchasing product produced by the Ugandan women working for Krochet Kids
International.

Thesis Statement: Due to many years of war and oppression in Northern Uganda, many women
and their families are struggling to overcome poverty. Krochet Kids International is a non-profit
organization providing a job, education, and mentorship to women in Uganda to empower them
to rise above poverty and change their culture.

Introduction:
I. Attention-getting material: Empowerment. What is it? It is not a single transaction or
temporary assistance. Empowerment starts with listening. It starts with recognizing the
voice and intrinsic worth of all people; male, female, American, Ugandan.

II. Establish Credibility: Two years ago I discovered an organization called Krochet Kids
International (KK intl.) that works to empower women and families in Northern Uganda.
Since then I have purchased products and advocated for the support of the organization,
and I hope to pursue an internship with KK intl. to aid in the empowerment.

III. Preview/thematic statement: Many years of war and oppression in Northern Uganda has
led to widespread poverty. The people of Uganda are not in search of a temporary
solution for their poverty, but a way of changing the culture. KK intl. provides a job,
education, and mentorship to women in Uganda, in an effort to empower these women
and their families to rise above their circumstances and begin to change the culture of
Uganda.

[Transition: Northern Uganda culture lacks equality between men and women, which adds to the
difficulty of overcoming the countrys poverty level.]

Body
I. Ugandan women have much less influence and fewer rights than men.
a. Womens rights in Uganda are greatly dependent on their relationship to men,
placing them at an unfair disadvantage in a variety of aspects.
b. Most African countries have constitutions guaranteeing equality for women, but
there are cultural norms that are concerned about how far an African woman
should go in asserting her rights (Akumu).
c. Traditionally a Ugandan womans role is to care of the household and children in
her family (Countries and Their Cultures).
d. Widespread poverty has begun to challenge this role because there is a greater
financial need for the family than what a man can provide on his own (Countries
and Their Cultures).
[Transition: Women are in a position where they feel the need to provide for their families, but
are unable to fully do so because of cultural barriers, which is where KK intl. begins to make an
impact.]

II. KK intl. was founded in 2008 by three friends who listened to the desire of people in
Northern Uganda who wanted to be able to support themselves (Crecelius).
a. Khol Crecelius, Stewart Ramsey and Travis Hartanov grew up in Spokane, WA,
where they crocheted unique headwear to wear for winter sports (Crecelius).
b. Ramsey had visited Uganda one summer and returned to inform his friends of the
extreme poverty, as well as the peoples desire to work and provide for their
families without the aid of the government (Crecelius).
c. The dream to empower people to provide for their families through the utilization
of hook and yarn began there (Crecelius).

[Transition: Since earning non-profit status in 2008, KK intl. has been giving women in their
program a job, education, and mentorship that will help the women start their own businesses in
the future.]

III. The mission of KK intl. is to empower people to rise above poverty.

a. They provide a job [of crocheting and sewing] so [the] women can meet the
present needs of their families (Krochet Kids Intl.).
b. They educate [the women] so that they develop beyond the need for outside aid
(Krochet Kids Intl.).
c. Lastly, they provide mentorship to help each lady plan a unique and sustainable
career path for the future (Krochet Kids Intl.).

[Transition: The most unique part about the job is that each woman in the program signs her
name on the tag of every single item that she produces.]

IV. When you purchase from KK intl. you are able to witness how a purchase can make a
lasting impact on a woman and her family.
a. KK intl. provides customers with the story and voice of the women who make the
products through the profile section of the organizations website.
b. You can read the story of the woman who provided a warm hat for your head, and
learn how you are providing for her.
c. You get to see where your money is going and know who you are supporting.
d. You can also write a thank you message to the woman who made your favorite hat
or scarf.

[Transition: KK intl. is more than an organization; it is a movement.]

V. It is a movement toward recognizing the humanity in other people.

a. KK intl. makes swiping your credit card personal.
b. It brings purpose to choosing your outfit for the day.
c. It recognizes that there is something we can do to inspire change in a culture of
inequality.
 d. You are purchasing with knowledge that you are helping someone change their
life.
e. You are providing someone with a job, with education, and with mentorship.
f. You are supporting someone in their work to rise out of poverty and change their
culture in Uganda.
g. You are helping change the culture.

[Transition: I encourage you, visit the website, krochetkids.org. See what item catches your eye,
and know that there is a story, a voice, and a face behind that product.]

Conclusion:
I. Summary statement: Krochet Kids intl. is empowering people to rise above poverty and
change the culture of Uganda. The products serve as the best way to continue the story
of empowerment Your purchase enables this cycle to continue and gives you a window
into what this impact looks like for one person (Krochet Kids Intl.).

II. Concluding remarks: I would like to leave you with this quote from a video produced by
KK intl.: What would the world look like if we viewed the success of others as our own?
What if you could equip someone to not just survive, but thrive? What if you could play a
role in this process? What if you could know who made your product? And what if their
life would never be the same because of it? This is empowerment. (Krochet Kids Intl.)

Bibliography:
Akumu, Patience. Women's Rights in Uganda: 'African Cullture' Is the Biggest Threat to the
Women's Right. 5 August 2015. 15 November 2016. <https://journafrica.de/en/uganda-
frauenrechte-45166>.
Countries and Their Cultures. Uganda. 2016. 15 November 2016.
<http://www.everyculture.com/To-Z/Uganda.html>.
Crecelius, Kohl. Our Story. 2016. 14 November 2016. <https://www.krochetkids.org/about-
us/our-story/>.
Krochet Kids Intl. Krochet Kids Intl. 2016. 12 November 2016. <https://www.krochetkids.org/>.
. Our Model. 2016. 12 November 2016. <https://www.krochetkids.org/what-we-do/our-
model/>.