Refugee Craftswomen Awarded Major Grant

The Refugee Women’s Craft Cooperative, a project of the IRC, was awarded $20,000 in October through an annual grant competition sponsored by Women United in Philanthropy in Charlottesville.

The funding will supply materials, space, and marketing supplies for a group of skilled artisans who fled war and ethnic violence for safety in Charlottesville. The Burmese weavers, Congolese crocheters, Iraqi seamstresses, and Bhutanese knitters and bead workers will sell their handiwork at local markets and downtown shops. They will also receive business training and reinvest a portion of their earnings in a jointly owned microenterprise. In the process, they will preserve and pass on cultural traditions and strengthen their ties to their new community.

 “We’re thrilled that Women United in Philanthropy is supporting refugee women in their efforts to use their experience and traditional skills to provide beautiful handicrafts to the Charlottesville community,” said IRC Charlottesville Executive Director Harriet Kuhr. “This project will bring much needed income to refugee families and brighten all of our lives in the process.”