Kuchinate is an arts-based economic and psychosocial collective for African asylum-seeking women. Meaning ‘crochet’ in the Eritrean language of Tigrinya, Kuchinate, started off as a project by The African Refugee Women’s Collective and has gone through a successful journey. The women currently work from a studio in south Tel Aviv, which is open to the public for sales and workshops in learning their crocheting techniques; hand-made, vibrantly-colored crocheted baskets and rugs.
They also host a series of pop-up shops in different locations throughout the year.
There are a few shops in Tel Aviv that stock the beautiful baskets and rugs and the quality products have enabled the collective to share their skills and make money from their craft. The project also serves another significant aspect of empowerment: it became a place where women with shared hardship and experience can come together and find support for one another. The shop is a safe place to work, create, eat, laugh, dance, cry, and talk, and all visitors are welcome.