Welcome to Rug Aid In 2004, internationally renowned rug maker and teacher,
Heather Ritchie, visited Zanzibar in east Africa. Local women
and children she lived with were fascinated when she demonstrated
the very simple and safe technique of rug making - using recycled
local material, clothes, wool and plastic bags - and picked
it up quickly.
Providing Opportunities Upon her return to the UK, Heather Ritchie set up
the not-for-profit organisation, Rug Aid. The aim of Rug Aid
is to provide opportunities for women and children in some
of the poorest communities in Africa. They will make rugs,
wall hangings and decorative items for sale locally,
nationally and, maybe later, through fair trade organisations world
wide. By providing opportunities for women and children, the
aim of Rug Aid is to bring about change 'from the bottom up'.
Every Rug Tells A Story Rug Aid draws on the stories of people's lives
- their families, animals, friends, transport, homes, schools
- as well as the colours, patterns and textures of their environments,
both rural and urban, to produce beautiful and very saleable
works of art which will bring pleasure to both the creator
and the purchaser. The project aims to harness the artistic
skills people already have and to encourage people who are
not sure that they have any artistic talent to express themselves
through colours and patterns.
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