Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi has heaped praises on Rachel Ruto, wife to Deputy President William Ruto, for her noble cause to help women inmates across the country through her program Cross Stitch International.
The program, which she runs, is aimed at helping underprivileged women in prisons and the community to make income and find new meaning in life from artwork.
“Deeply touched by the positive transformation cross stitching has had on women inmates. We thank H.E. Rachel Ruto for the sacrifice she has made to make to make this a success, changing lives, one stitch at a time,” Dr Matiang’i said when he visited the exhibition at Michael Joseph Center on Tuesday.
Mrs. Ruto, who is an accomplished artist, aims at producing artwork which she hopes will steer women empowerment just like her flagship table-banking initiative, Joyful Women Organisation (JOYWO).
“It had always been my desire to have an outstanding hand-made artwork to display in my house. Growing up, I had seen my mother and other women in my village stitch all sorts of handmade products but one was outstanding- cross stitch,” she once revealed.
On her part, Mrs Ruto thanked Dr Matiang’i for his commitment to support the initiative.
“We would like to thank our CS DR. Fred Matiang’i Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Security in Kenya for the great support and for visiting the Cross stitch International Exbition at the Michael Joseph center this morning,” she said.
“Together we continue to support our ladies in prison and give them hope and dignity. We also thank PS Zeinab Hussein and the Commissioner General Wycliffe O. Ogallo for walking this journey with us.”
Together we continue to support our ladies in prison and give them hope and dignity.
We also thank PS Zeinab Hussein and the Commissioner General Wycliffe O. Ogallo for walking this journey with us. pic.twitter.com/g8nrTb0Rc3— Mama Rachel Ruto (@MamaRachelRuto) October 22, 2019
“Cross-stitch is a passion. This passion I saw it with my mother many years ago and I wondered whether its possible to frame it and preserve it,” Rachel said in a TV interview last year.
“The pieces range from Ksh3,000 and the biggest piece that we have sold is Ksh700,000,” she added.