It’s that time again: Our annual charity dye is here. With your support, we’re helping to do good – in collaboration with the nonprofit organization kila mtoto, which supports children and families in Rabai, Kenya.
What’s behind this year’s charity dye?
This year’s charity dye bears the melodious name “Kanga” – inspired by the colorful cotton fabric of the same name that plays a central role in Kenya. Because a kanga is more than just fabric: It’s a symbol of culture, community, and creativity. Women wear it as clothing, use it as a baby carrier, shopping bag, or even as a tablecloth. Particularly touching are the Swahili sayings found on many kangas – short messages full of life wisdom, humor, or appreciation.
With this year’s colourway, we want to honor not only the vibrant colors and versatility of the kanga, but also contribute to improving living conditions in Rabai. Because with every skein of the charity dye sold, you’re supporting kila mtoto e.V. in providing children with access to education and healthy meals.
How your donations help
For every 100g skein of the charity dye we donate €5 and for every 150g skein we donate €7 to the nonprofit organization kila mtoto. Therefore, the charity dyes have a small price increase compared to our regular skeins. The difference to €5 or €7 is added by Alte Künste.
And what does your support achieve specifically? Here are a few examples:
- With €5 you finance breakfast for all 60 children at Rabai Hope Nursery School.
- €7 is enough to give an entire class (30 children) bananas or eggs.
- €15 (that’s the donation from three 100g skeins) secures a whole month of school meals for one child – from breakfast to lunch with fruit and egg.
- With €35 you provide lunch for all the children at the school.
Every euro donated makes a difference. Because for many children who attend Rabai Hope Nursery School, regular meals are not a given.
Our yarn bases for the charity dye “Kanga”
So you can get really creative, we’re offering the charity dye “Kanga” on various yarn bases – the right choice for every taste and every project:
- Balance, 100g, plastic-free sock yarn, 400m/100g, 60% virgin wool (merino) 40% Tencel
- Eco Merino, 100g, non-superwash & plastic-free, 80% virgin wool 20% linen
- Southdown, 100g, non-superwash & plastic-free, 100% virgin wool (from Southdown sheep)
- Luxus Merino, 100g, 400m/100g, 80% virgin wool 20% polyamide
- Big Merino 150g, pure merino, 600m/150g, 100% virgin wool (merino)
- Bluefaced Leicester DK, 100g, 225m/100g, 100% virgin wool (from BFL sheep)
Of course, all our yarns are mulesing-free. You can find the charity dyei in our shop now – feel free to stop by!
Who is kila mtoto?
The non-profit organization we support, kila mtoto e.V., works for children and families in Rabai, a very poor region near the Kenyan coast. The goal: enable children to attend school, provide them with healthy meals, and offer families a sustainable livelihood through agriculture.
Kila mtoto works closely with the local organization Huamwenga Hope CBO, which runs Rabai Hope Nursery School. In this preschool, children from low-income families are prepared for entering the education system. Since preschool is mandatory in Kenya but often remains inaccessible due to costs, kila mtoto fills exactly this gap.
Why does Alte Künste do this?
We at Alte Künste believe that creativity can change the world – and that every small gesture, no matter how small, can achieve great things. With the charity dye, we want to not only create beautiful yarns, but also contribute to enabling children in Kenya to have a better future. Together with you, we’ve been doing good for several years and can support children in Kenya. With our charity dye, we’re all creating a message of hope that goes beyond the yarn.