Cambodia Knits is a social enterprise that works with marginalized communities near Phnom Penh. As a social enterprise they claim: "We put our profits into communities because we believe that putting people ahead of profit results in a great product." Their work consists basically of knitted goodies – animals and monsters. Cambodian Knits believes that employment empowers marginalized communities when employees are fairly paid and works to resolve the constraints the communities face.
The small company is founded by seven Cambodian artisans – four knitters and three assemblers – and three office employees for translation, management and accounts, all of which are survivors with tough backgrounds on their shoulders. All of them Cambodian, which is a great signal of rise of local entrepreneurship but unfortunately is seldom.
Part of the success of Cambodian Knits is their learning program: "We believe in a supportive work environment where everyone has an opportunity to learn new skills and develop own creativity.", which is the reason they provide paid traineeship in knitting skills. Having trained more than 25 people in two communities, Cambodian Knits provide all the participants with all materials and tools as well as the opportunity to earn income at fair piece rates for what they produce.
They also travel to the rural and suburban communities regularly to collect finished products, pay knitters and provide support and additional training when necessary because high quality products can be also made at home. This cuts out the need to travel the long distance to the city to find work and allows the parents to stay home taking care of children and chores, which also enable people to work at their own pace and earn a helpful income.
They also cooperate with NGOs that are supporting the communities where they employ staff coordinating activities and sharing information. Soon, Cambodian Knits will be working with Caritas in Toul Sambo to set up a full knitting workshop right in the community. Caritas are building new housing and community spaces where will also be knitting workshop.
They also cooperate with NGOs that are supporting the communities where they employ staff coordinating activities and sharing information. Soon, Cambodian Knits will be working with Caritas in Toul Sambo to set up a full knitting workshop right in the community. Caritas are building new housing and community spaces where will also be knitting workshop.
As a final remark, we think it is really nice that Cambodians are taking control of their own companies with entrepreneurship and empowering communities. The next step for us will be to find out what the pre-conditions were and the success factors were. Also, it will be very beneficial if Cambodian Knits could develop their communication further and become internationally recognized brand.
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