Uganda – the impoverished landlocked African nation, which many people forget about, is suffering.

It was just ten short years ago Kohl, Travis and Stewart, three high school friends, set out on a mission to reach out to the global community and to “make a difference.”

“My older brother taught me to crochet when he came home from college. I was expecting to learn something really cool from him, but crochet?” said Kohl Crecelius.

Originally from Spokane, WA., the friends shared of love of snow sports. Crecelius inspired the idea to make ‘unique headwear’ for the slopes.

The idea caught on quickly. Soon, the headwear caught the attention of classmates and friends.

Even the local newspaper found the idea intriguing, dubbing them the ‘Krochet Kids’ which has stuck ever since.

As the college years progressed and the three friends went their separate ways, their ultimate goal for change in the world and service in developing countries never ceased exist.

It wasn’t until halfway through college the three, which had now expanded to a larger group of crocheters, applied for the status of a non-profit organization.

“Our hope from the very beginning was that we could start a program, really a model, that could be replicated in lots of different countries,” Crecelius said.

One particular summer in college, Krochet Kids found themselves sitting in brick hut in the northern region of Uganda, teaching countless women how to do this really cool thing called “crocheting.”

“We want to work, we want to be the masters of our own destiny,” was the exact line the women of Uganda used, no longer wanting to receive charity and feel oppressed by the national government.

So Krochet Kids got “as much yarn as (we) could and stuffed in into tons of bags” to bring over to Uganda, as “(we) witnessed a miracle happen before our eyes.”

The women were not just good at crocheting, they were great at it.

What started as a silly hobby has now impacted the lives of over 150 women in Uganda, and now another 20 women in Peru. “Krochet Kids” officially became a non-profit in 2008 and are still working hard to “become ever better and reach out to more nations.”

The non-profit visited DePaul University on May 7, 2012. The organization, which is now headquartered nationally in Spokane, Seattle, and Orange County, attracted nearly 20 students to the hour-long presentation. The DePaul Activities Board made the event possible.

Krochet Kids CEO Kohl Crecelius believes the organization is a gift that will continue giving.

“I think the most rewarding thing for us has been seeing all of these things we can offer a woman in Uganda or Peru. Seeing them take them and run with them,” Crecelius said. “I would definitely see Krochet Kids being involved in a lot more countries. Creating a variety of different products continuing to build and grow what we offer to our retailers and our customers while at the same time impacting more and more communities.”