Kuchinate

Crocheted baskets for your home

Kuchinate (crochet in Tigrinya) is a collective of African asylum seeking women living in Tel Aviv, Israel. The women design and create crochet products for the home, such as baskets, poufs, and rugs. They also host crochet lessons, meals, and traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean coffee ceremonies through which they earn an income and boost their self-esteem. 

Since 2007, there has been influx of asylum seekers from African countries into Israel. The majority of them migrated to Israel via the Egyptian Sinai. An alarming number of asylum-seeking women are survivors of human trafficking and torture (including sexual violence) during their flight through eastern Sudan and the Sinai Peninsula. The consequences of these experiences for women include unwanted pregnancies, physical trauma and psychological distress. Trauma en-route to Israel exacerbates the difficulties of being an asylum seeker in Israel.

While group protection allows asylum seekers to remain in Israel until their homes are deemed safe for return, it does not allow them to work formally. Many struggle each day, and many women face gender-based violence.

Kuchinate is a socio-psychological project aimed at empowering these women who have found themselves in vulnerable situations. The act of sitting together in a supportive and understanding environment whilst making creations rooted in African culture is therapeutic and helps the women cope with their difficult realities.