Knitted Donkey

In 2007, rural women in Molo, Kenya, turned one of their local natural resources into a source of supplemental income. They realized that instead of paying a shearer to shear their sheep and take away the wool, they could use it to handcraft toys, rugs, and purses. With the support of Oregon-based Friends of Kenya Schools and Wildlife and the Network for Eco-Farming in Africa, the women began spinning and dyeing their wool, then hand-knitting whimsical animals. The sale of items from the Molo Wool Project enables the women to pay school fees for their children and provide for household needs.

Made by Ruth Wanjiru, these little brown donkeys look like they’re braying: maybe there’s a lion close by!