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The Kenyan firm, Kenana Knitters was sponsored by the ECA Hub to
attend the Sources Show in the United States in May 2004. Prior
to attending the show, Kenana Knitters was able to access technical
assistance from a Volunteer Executive provided by the International
Executive Service Corps.
The role of the Volunteer Executive was to advise Kenana on various
issues including design, production and marketing. Kenana Knitters
is involved in the production of home and gift woolen items including
children's toys. As a result of the firm's attendance at the Sources
Show, Kenana Knitters has been inundated with orders and now employs
160 women. This has meant that in the past few months over 80 women
have found employment as a result of the increase in orders.
Kenana reports that they picked up customers in Japan, Canada
and Italy at the Sources show and these customers have both ordered
and reordered. At present the company has 13 large orders waiting
to be filled.
In addition, Kenana has purchased two second-hand computers to
train the women on and have also initiated a monthly VCT and family
planning programme in their own self-run clinic.
Since returning from the show, Kenana Knitters has filled export
orders in excess of $60,000. The firm is now actively developing
new lines and already working on next year's designs.
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