Celebrate with Ingenzi Knit Union and Indego Africa

This fall, Ingenzi Knit Union and Indego Africa completed an epic order of hand knit Sarapo Loop scarves for Anthropologie.  It was not only the largest in Indego's history, but also the largest knitwear order sent from Rwanda to the United States, ever! Now that's something to celebrate. Share the joy in this video of Indego Africa's incredible partner, The Ingenzi Knit Union, as they celebrate their historic order for Anthropologie!

Like what you see?  The Sarapo Loop scarf is available at Anthropologie's U.S. and U.K. stores and at Indego's online store. These stylish color-blocked scarves are made of soft, fluffy yarn and come in two colors: saffron and winter white. Incredibly soft and cozy, this scarf wraps around the neck three times for extra warmth and style.  Conceived by superstar Anthropologie designer Linda Trau, guided by Rwanda Knits, and produced by Indego Africa's inspiring partner cooperatives Hope, Mpore Mama, Hosiana, and Susuruka - operating together as The Ingenzi Knit Union (IKU).

See photos of the artisans in action HERE, and celebrating their success HERE.

McKinsey "What Matters": Design Meets Development in Rwanda

McKinsey's awesome publication, "What Matters" is asking select change makers the question: "Can fresh thinking solve the world’s most intractable problems?" They elaborate: "New business models. New technologies. New approaches. These are just some of the techniques social innovators are using to tackle the world’s toughest issues. In this second installment of essays and interviews, What Matters has convened some of the most innovative and forward-thinking change makers to share their stories and their strategies."

Please enjoy an article co-authored by Ben Stone (CEO), Conor French (COO/CFO), and Nicole Miller about the powerfully innovative partnership between Indego Africa, Nicole Miller, and hundreds of entrepreneurial artisans in Rwanda!

Design Meets Development in Rwanda

by Conor French, Ben Stone, and Nicole Miller

Our goal at Indego Africa is to put ourselves out of business, literally. We’ve joined forces with noted fashion designer Nicole Miller because we believe she can help us do exactly that.

Indego Africa, a nonprofit social enterprise, connects for-profit cooperatives of women artisans in Rwanda with export markets for their goods and provides training to help them run their businesses more effectively. Specifically, we market the handmade accessories and home décor items that our partner cooperatives produce on our e-commerce site and to US brands and retail chains. Then we pool the profits with donations to fund training programs in financial management, entrepreneurship, literacy, and computers—all of which are taught by Rwanda’s top university students. By helping our partner cooperatives tap into new markets, generate sales, and acquire functional skills, we believe we can help them to create viable, sustainable businesses that can provide a path out of poverty. And if we do it right, at some point they won’t need us anymore.

Indego Africa’s collaboration with Nicole Miller (both the designer herself and the company bearing her name) began in August 2010 with an initial test order for textile bangles and woven bracelets produced by some of our partner cooperatives. Miller formally launched the bracelet collection over the 2010 holiday season at her boutiques in New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago. After the bracelets sold out, Miller and Indego Africa capitalized on the momentum with a series of new designs, including sarongs, shorts, bags, and jewelry. These items are now also sold at Nicole Miller retail stores and on both entities’ e-commerce sites.

We believe this partnership holds valuable lessons for social innovators. Part of the power of the partnership derives from the nonprofit/for-profit hybrid we’ve created. We’re driven by more than simple altruism, although that’s certainly part of what makes it work. While the alliance allows both sides to live our social values, it also furthers core business objectives, including making profits, attracting new customers, and enhancing our brands.

When Nicole Miller places an order for Indego Africa products, each party along the supply chain turns a profit. As for-profit businesses, Nicole Miller and each of Indego Africa’s partner cooperatives exist to make money. Even if her business got great press, Miller could not justify selling goods from the cooperatives for long if she couldn’t make money on them. At the same time, she also gets a reliable sourcing channel for unique product offerings that appeal to the next generation of end-customers who increasingly want to believe in what they wear.

Meanwhile, Indego Africa benefits from the relationship as well. In addition to paying artisans a fair trade wage Indego Africa must cover other fixed costs—a must if we’re to continue our mission of assisting women in Rwanda to lift themselves out of poverty. Partnering with a globally recognized label raises awareness about Indego Africa’s social mission and brand, dramatically enhancing our ability to forge additional income-generating relationships and thus multiply our impact in Rwanda.

Miller does much more than just place orders. Her commitment to working closely with the artisans on the design and innovation process teaches them important skills that should enable the cooperatives to continue growing. The sewing cooperative Cocoki, one of Indego Africa’s partner cooperatives, is a good example. After working with Indego Africa for three years and experiencing rapid growth, Cocoki was ready to begin standing on its own. In October 2011, Miller spent a week in Rwanda training Cocoki’s membership so they could better produce additional goods she anticipated including in an upcoming collection. Soon after, two of Cocoki’s leaders visited the United States. Those visits in turn led to the first-ever direct purchase order between a Rwandan cooperative and a major US label, when Nicole Miller placed an order for paper bead necklaces from Cocoki.

By basing our relationship on a shared set of business goals, as opposed to purely charitable ends, Indego Africa and Nicole Miller have fashioned a mutually beneficial nonprofit/for-profit partnership, which we believe can be expanded and replicated with other brands. The transformative impact on the lives of the artisan women in Rwanda extends beyond the profits they’ve earned. They’ve also gained essential skills, from how to design to how to navigate the export market. The partnership arms them with the confidence, creativity, and sense of ownership to claim control over their own futures as independent businesswomen. Each income-generating transaction gets us one step closer to our goal: sustainable, economic independence for talented women entrepreneurs in Rwanda.

Introducing Indego Africa's Fall 2011 U.S. Interns

We at Indego Africa love fall. We love the changing colors. We love jack-o-lanterns. We love the hustle and bustle. We love the cyclical rise in transaction volume. And we love how the results typically reward our diligent efforts during the first three quarters of the year. 

Now we unequivocally do love fall, but its busyness inevitably also underscores certain human resource challenges we face. With that in mind, as we brace for another industrious fall, please stand up and put your hands together for Indego Africa’s superb fall 2011 U.S. intern class.

Chloe Guss (Sales and Marketing): Chloe recently returned from an around-the-world adventure in which, among other things, she devoted considerable time to scouting traditional artisanal techniques and assessing their potential place and viability in the American consumer goods market. Well-versed in immigration policy, race relations, and consumer behavior, Chloe is dedicated to helping Indego Africa open up new market-entry points and develop product lines that further link Rwandan artisan producers and U.S. consumers. At Indego Africa, she is also able to draw upon her previous sales and client-management experience in New York and Boston. Prior to joining Indego Africa, Chloe designed a silk-screened clothing line to promote awareness of social issues and worked on initiatives to match international students with educational opportunities in the U.S. She is a graduate of Tufts University with a B.A. in American Studies.

Hira Moin (Legal): A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and Wharton, Hira is excited to combine her legal and business expertise in support of Indego Africa’s legal, financial, and operational activities while still fulfilling her personal goal of meaningfully contributing to international development. Hira studied Political Science with a concentration in Global and International Affairs at Binghamton University and served as a Law Student Counselor in the Penn Law Entrepreneurship Legal Clinic providing pro bono transactional legal services directly to entrepreneurs and businesses in the start-up and growth phases.

Ana Maria Moreno (Communications): Prior to joining Indego Africa, Ana Maria studied Philosophy, Politics and Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. She became passionate about finding sustainable solutions for poverty alleviation after traveling to various villages in Bangladesh while working with Grameen Bank. Ana Maria is interested in harnessing the power of business principles and best practices to create durable social change. At Indego Africa, Ana Maria channels her interest in marketing and communications to nurture, and further raise the profile of, Indego Africa’s diverse array of long-term partnerships. In her spare time, Ana Maria enjoys traveling and learning about new cultures.

Julia Neyman (Legal): Julia graduated from Columbia Law School in May 2011 and will join the first-year associate class at White & Case LLP in October. At Indego Africa, Julia has taken over primary responsibility for revamping and expanding Indego Africa's core Business Management and Entrepreneurship curriculum. Prior to attending law school, Julia worked as a journalist at the Miami Herald, Newsday, and the South Florida Business Journal. Julia was born in the Ukraine, but grew up outside of Washington, D.C.

Check back in next week (and prepare yourself for a second rousing standing ovation) for introductions to our dynamic fall Rwanda intern class as well as to one key late, stretch-run U.S. intern addition. 

-Conor French and Ben Stone

Artisans Hard at Work: Prototyping at Imirasire Coovamaya

To meet growing market demand for our handmade accessories and home décor products, Indego Africa has been canvassing Rwanda for potential new artisan partners. During this extensive search, a weaving cooperative called Imirasire Coovamaya popped firmly back up on Indego Africa's radar.

Located in a village called Mayange in Rwanda's Eastern Province, Imirasire Coovamaya is comprised of 180 women. Although the relationship is still in its exploratory stages, Imirasire Coovamaya is already playing a central role in Indego Africa's push to design and develop new prototypes and samples for large retailers in the U.S. And in these initial efforts, the cooperative has demonstrated in short order that  it could prove a substantial value-add to Indego Africa's production capacity.

Imirasire roughly translates from Kinyarwanda as "sunshine," and the sunny workplace disposition of Imirasire Coovamaya membership definitely lives up to the cooperative's name. Each time Indego Africa staff arrive onsite, we are greeted by a sprawling throng of impeccably cheerful and brightly-outfitted women hard at work beneath a row of eucalyptus trees.

To put into perspective what rockstars the women of Imirasire Coovamaya are, here is a snapshot of just their past two weeks work: 6 prototype requests to make samples for 4 different U.S. retailers, resulting in 326 total units in 23 different styles, and 142 different color-ways.

The membership of Imirasire Coovamaya came out in full and united force to complete these complicated orders. After a marathon session of dyeing imigwegwe to fulfill the many color combinations, members grouped themselves into production teams. Each group took responsibility for one style of bracelet or necklace and, within each group, each member took responsibility for specific color-ways.

Two weeks of long work days within their internal system of specialization paid off and the order was completed on time and with uniformly outstanding quality. Packed up in boxes and on its way to the U.S., the women of Imirasire Coovamaya anxiously await news from Indego Africa's sales and marketing team to see just how these newest designs fare!

-Crissy Vicendese, Design and Production Manager

(Photos: members of Imirasire Coovamaya work on product prototypes and samples for upcoming meetings with U.S. retailers)

Indego Africa is Fab(.com)

Indego Africa found itself yet another innovative marketplace during a fast-paced, high-volume sale with the website Fab.com last week!

Fab.com is a flash sale e-commerce site renowned for its exquisite taste and expert eye for coveted consumer goods designs – its primary mission is to enable everyone to incorporate great design into their lives. Fab.com approached Indego Africa a few months ago to be one of its “Daily Design Inspirations,” and we recently took place in a five-day online sale of our Plateau Baskets, Wine Bags and Yoga Bags. And amazingly, we had sold over two hundred products by the time the shopping was over!

Collaboration with Fab.com proved a big boon to us; as a social enterprise, Indego Africa's earned income strategy is to design, develop, and bring to market an array of African-inspired contemporary home decor and accessory product offerings to generate much-needed income for our artisan partners.

Fab.com has a well-established reputation for vetting and tabbing approachable and affordable (and inspired) designs. So our sale with Fab.com was really a wonderful acknowledgement of the work that Indego Africa and our artisan partners are doing in harnessing the best of Rwandan craftsmanship, artisanal heritage, and available raw materials to develop fashion-forward products.

We at Indego Africa believe selection by Fab.com was another positive indicator that we are fulfilling an objective of unleashing the full production potential of our partner artisan groups. Now that is Fab!

-Rachel Tennenbaum, Communications Intern

Indego Africa Unveils its Board of Advisers

It is my distinct pleasure to present to you Indego Africa’s inaugural Board of Advisers. As you can see from the biographies below, this talented group, which also includes Ambassador Michael Arietti, Cameron Cowan, Zachary Kaufman, Jackson M’vunganyi, Elchi Nowrojee, Tamsin Smith, and Samantha Taylor, hails from diverse professional, experiential, and cultural backgrounds.

What this Board of Advisers shares is a longstanding belief in the mission of Indego Africa and the principles upon which it is built. As importantly, this Board of Advisers maintains a firmly-held commitment to supporting Indego Africa’s artisan partners and a resolve to marshal our wealth of experience and expertise to serve Indego Africa as it deepens its impact in Rwanda and beyond.

I know that I can speak for this entire group when I say that we have long awaited this opportunity to formalize our respective roles in driving Indego Africa forward. We are honored to serve as advisers to this dynamic young organization and truly look forward to the bright future that lies ahead for us all.

-Steve Foresta, Chair of the Board of Advisers

Please read on, or click HERE, for full biographies of each member

______________________________________

Steve Foresta

Steve Foresta is a partner at the international law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe in New York and is the firm-wide leader of the Litigation Practice Group. He has extensive experience handling all phases of complex litigation and has tried numerous cases in state and federal court and before arbitral panels in the U.S. and abroad. Steve is also an active participant in Orrick’s pro bono and associate training programs, and in recognition of his unwavering commitment to professional development, he received Orrick’s Excellence in Mentoring Award for 2010.

Steve also devotes a substantial amount of time working with community service organizations. During the summer of 2009, Steve traveled to Rwanda with his son Michael to work with Indego Africa’s staff, artisan partners, and Generation Rwanda interns, and he’s been a devoted Indego Africa supporter ever since. Steve also serves as Chair of the New York Board of Advisors of Disability Rights Advocates, a non-profit legal center whose mission is to advance equal rights and opportunities for people with disabilities. Steve graduated from Fordham University School of Law in 1987 and received his undergraduate degree in 1984 from the University of Virginia, where he was an Echols Scholar.

Ambassador Michael R. Arietti

Michael Arietti, now retired, is a United States diplomat and a career foreign service officer with the Department of State. He served as the United States Ambassador to Rwanda from 2005 to 2008.

Ambassador Arietti joined the Department of State in 1973 and is a member of the Senior Foreign Service. Before his tenure in Rwanda, he held the position of Director of the Office of West African Affairs. During this period he was directly involved in efforts to bring about peace in Liberia, as well as coordination of American cooperation with ECOWAS headquarters on regional issues.

Ambassador Arietti has previously served as Deputy Permanent Representative at the U.S. Mission to the U.N. in Geneva and as Deputy Chief of Mission in Lusaka, Zambia. He has also served at U.S. Embassies in Sweden, Australia, and Iran. Within the Department of State, Ambassador Arietti has served as Director of the Office of UN Peacekeeping Operations, as Director of the Human Rights Office and in other positions responsible for arms control negotiations, and Middle Eastern issues. He has also worked on environmental issues, including the protection and sustainable use of African timber resources. Prior to joining the Department of State, Ambassador Arietti served as a Peace Corps volunteer in India.

Cameron (Cam) Cowan

Cam Cowan is a partner in the Capital Transactions and Real Estate Practice Group for the international law firm of King & Spalding in Washington, D.C. He serves as counsel to financial institutions, corporations and government agencies in complex financings in the United States, Europe and Asia and as an advisor on financial markets regulation. Cam also advises nonprofit organizations focused on microfinance and impact investment in developing countries.

Cam has been recognized as one of the top structured finance lawyers in the world by The Best of the Best Experts Guide. Cam also has been selected as one of the top structured finance lawyers in the United States by Chambers Global, listed in Band 1 for Capital Markets: Securitization, and as the top ranked lawyer in the world based on personal nominations by Legal Media Group’s Guide to the World's Leading Structured Finance and Securitization Lawyers. Cam is listed in Who’s Who Legal – Capital Markets, in The International Who’s Who of Capital Markets Lawyers, in Lawdragon 500 and in The Best Lawyers in America. Cam was named Best Lawyers 2011 Lawyer of the Year for Washington, D.C., structured finance.

Cam previously was a partner in the global finance group at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, where he served as a member of the Executive Committee and in various leadership roles in the firm, including Senior Partner for Transactional Practices and Senior Partner for Asia, and where he oversaw the opening of its Washington, D.C., and three China offices. Cam is a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of Virginia Law School Foundation. He received a B.S. from Syracuse University, magna cum laude, in 1975, an M.B.A. from the Columbia University Graduate School of Business in 1975, and a J.D. from University of Virginia School of Law in 1981.

Zachary (Zach) Kaufman

Zachary Daniel Kaufman (www.zacharykaufman.com) is an attorney, professor, writer, speaker, and social entrepreneur. A graduate of Yale University (where he was the student body president and co-captain of the wrestling team), Oxford University (where he was a Marshall Scholar), and Yale Law School (where he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law & Policy Review and co-founder and co-president of Yale Law Social Entrepreneurs), Zach focuses his research, writing, and teaching on International Law, particularly International Criminal Law and Transitional Justice. His first book, After Genocide: Transitional Justice, Post-Conflict Reconstruction, and Reconciliation in Rwanda and Beyond (www.aftergenocide.com), which he co-edited with Dr. Phil Clark, was co-published by Columbia University Press and C. Hurst & Co. in 2009. Zach is also the editor of the forthcoming book Social Entrepreneurship in the Age of Atrocities: Changing Our World, which will include a chapter about Indego Africa.

Zach is currently an Adjunct Professor at George Washington University’s Elliott School of International Affairs and will soon re-join the international law firm of O’Melveny & Myers. Zach’s professional experience has focused on the investigation, apprehension, and prosecution of suspected perpetrators of atrocities, including genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and terrorism. He has worked at the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit; the United States Departments of Justice and State; the United Nations International Criminal Tribunals for Rwanda and for the Former Yugoslavia; the International Criminal Court; Stanford University’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law; O’Melveny & Myers; and Google’s Global Public Policy and Government Affairs department.

Zach is the founder, president, and chairman of the Board of Directors of the American Friends of the Kigali Public Library and an Honorary Member of the Rotary Club of Kigali-Virunga, Rwanda. Together, these non-profit organizations are fundraising and collecting books for, raising public awareness about, and building Rwanda’s first-ever public library. Zach also serves as a consultant to other non-profit organizations and social enterprises.

Jackson Muneza M'vunganyi

Jackson Muneza M'vunganyi is the host of Upfront—Voice of America Radio, a fresh, fast-paced show aired in both the U.S. and in Africa that talks to and with teens and young adults about trends, lifestyles, health, entertainment, and other issues touching the lives of listeners. Jackson’s broadcasting career has been multi-faceted so far, working in both radio and television, in Africa and the United States.

Beyond his broadcasting merits, Jackson also volunteers his time with African communities in the Diaspora on issues affecting the continent. A native of Rwanda, Jackson holds a B.A. in Multimedia Development from American University in Washington, D.C. and an M.A. in Information Management from the University of Maryland.

Eruch (Elchi) Nowrojee

Elchi Nowrojee, Director and Counsel, is Co-Head of Legal - Americas for the Asset Management division of Credit Suisse. Elchi provides legal coverage principally for the Alternative Investments businesses of Credit Suisse in the Americas. He is based in New York. Prior to joining Credit Suisse in November 2006, Elchi specialized in complex financial transactions, including private investment fund formation, strategic partnerships and private acquisitions at the law firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton. While there, Elchi represented a number of clients investing in African companies, forming African investment funds and working with other Africa-related businesses. He assisted in legislative monitoring for African multilateral clients and participated actively in African business development.

Elchi currently sits on the Sub-Committee on Africa of the Advisory Committee of the Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice. He is also the immediate past Chair of the Committee on African Affairs of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York. Elchi has worked and lived in Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa. Elchi holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, a M.Phil. in International Relations from St Antony’s College at Oxford University, where he was a Rhodes Scholar, and a B.A. in African Studies from Yale College.

Tamsin Smith

Tamsin Smith is the founder of Slipstream Strategy (www.SlipStreamStrategy.com), a consultancy dedicated to helping philanthropists, executives, international organizations, non-profits, and inspired individuals bring good ideas to life. Prior to forming Slipstream Strategy, Tamsin served as president of (RED), the for-benefit brand that harnesses private-sector ingenuity and influence to activate the buying power of the public in the fight against AIDS in Africa. Recruited by (RED)’s founders Bono and Bobby Shirver, she helped (RED)’s corporate partnerships to include Converse, Gap, Motorola, Emporio Armani, Apple, Hallmark, Dell, Microsoft, Starbucks, and American Express in the UK.

Before joining (RED), Tamsin shepherded Gap Inc.’s public-policy strategy, joining the global specialty retailer in 1997 and creating and leading the company's government affairs department for nine years. Tamsin began her career with six years on Capitol Hill, serving as senior legislative assistant to two members of the U.S. House of Representatives and associate staff to the House Appropriations Committee. Tamsin graduated Kenyon College Phi Beta Kappa with highest honors in literature and holds a Masters in Law & Diplomacy from the Fletcher School at Tufts University.

Samantha (Sam) Taylor

Sam Taylor is the Founder of Reputation Dynamics, Inc., a company that provides a value-add network of brand marketing, issues management and communications, as well as social responsibility services for the lifestyle and professional services industries. She is also Senior Advisor to The Synergos Institute, a non-profit dedicated to reducing poverty and promoting social equity in emerging economies around the world including the African continent. Formerly, Sam was the Chief Marketing Officer of GMHC, the nation’s oldest non-profit HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment and care services provider where she spearheaded a once-in-27-year rebranding initiative in 2009.

A native of London, Sam spent an impressionable part of her childhood growing up in Kenya, East Africa where she was engaged in community work with The East African Women’s League. She is also a founding member of The CMO Club and an advocate and speaker for ‘Doing Good in Society,’ where she consults with a diverse range of organizations who are about to start, or currently engaged in, developing sustainable responsibility program initiatives aligned with business impact.

Cocoki's Therese Accepted into the 10,000 Women Program

As earlier reported in Indego Africa's newsletter, Therese Iribagiza is following in the illustrious footsteps of her Cocoki colleague, Emelienne Nyiramana, in attending Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Program. Read more below:

Indego Africa could not be more pleased to announce that Therese Iribagiza, vice president of Indego Africa’s partner cooperative Cocoki, was recently accepted into the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Entrepreneurship Certificate Program at Rwanda’s School of Finance and Banking.

Born in the Southern Province of Rwanda in 1976, Therese excelled in primary school before joining a sewing training center. She eventually relocated to Rwanda's capital city, Kigali, in search of better business opportunities, and, in 2008, became a member of Cocoki. In her leadership role as vice president, Therese is one of the chief architects behind Cocoki’s transformation into a flourishing and profitable international business. Therese is also a proud wife and mother of three girls: Anne Marie Merci (age 13), Marie Adorate (age 11), and Celine Umubire (age 7).

Coursework for Rwanda's latest cohort of 10,000 Women participants kicked off on July 20th and the word on the street is that Therese is already making quite an impression. Professor Matthew Brown, visiting from Thompson Rivers University’s School of Business and Economics in British Columbia, shared with us the following thoughts about Therese’s first day of class:


"Therese is very fortunate to be a participant in our seventh cohort here in Kigali, Rwanda, but perhaps better said is that this enthusiastic student cohort is just as fortunate to have her sharing the learning experience.

Today, Therese gave the group what amounted to a 10-minute speech about how important it is to sometimes partner with competitors to achieve mutually beneficial business goals. I told her we have a name for that sort of counter-intuitive behavior...strategic alliance. After a lively discussion on the merits and risks of such partnerships, I told Therese how pleased I was that she provided our young class with such a powerful example of the meaning of strategic thinking.

I told this cohort at the end of their first week that they were ALL being elevated to being University Students, not beginning freshman, but senior status, . . . and quite honestly, I don't think that level will be satisfactory enough for this cohort . . . they want to go higher!"

As a neat postscript to her 10,000 Women acceptance and enrollment, Therese is U.S.-bound this Fall. She will join Emelienne and Indego Africa Operations and Accounting Associate, Yves Ndashimye, stateside from Oct. 12th through Oct. 27th. The trio's trip will include meetings with retailers and designers, events at Nicole Miller’s SoHo boutique and the Rwandan embassy, and a signature dinner in their honor - "Meet the Artisans: An Indego Africa Celebration of Entrepreneurial Women."

We might very well content ourselves to sit here and say that we are very happy for you, Therese. AND WE ARE. But the truth is that you earned this opportunity through your own ambition, savvy, and hard hat-and-lunch pail work ethic. And the truth is that we have come to expect great things from you. You have only scratched the surface of what you can do. Now is your time. Stand bold.

-Conor French and Rachel Tennenbaum

(Photos: at top, Therese, along with Jacqueline and Anne-Mary, attends Emelienne's graduation from the 10,000 Women Program, at middle, Therese leads Cocoki's Pricing Committee, which also includes Beath, Melante, Honorine, Jacqueline, Anne-Mary, and Florence, in a product costing negotiation, and at bottom, a blast from the past as Therese gets her first glimpse of the 10,000 Women application)

Indego Africa Announces New Partnership With DANNIJO

Indego Africa recently stopped by DANNIJO’s resplendent design studio in the Meatpacking District and were immediately overcome by the combination of joy and diligence that co-founding sisters Danielle and Jodie Snyder pour into their ultra-stylish enterprise. Why were we there? Delivering colorful new Dutch Wax Cloth jewelry pouches, of course.

By way of launching a high-profile new partnership between Indego Africa and DANNIJO, Danielle and Jodie teamed up with seamstresses at Indego Africa partner cooperative Cocoki to produce a vibrant new line of jewelry pouches. Starting now, each time a customer purchases a DANNIJO product from their website, it will arrive in a jewelry pouch handmade by a member of Cocoki. And as is the case with all Indego Africa products, each jewelry pouch is personalized with the name and signature of the artisan woman who produced it.

Partnerships work best with a purpose. We were greatly comforted that, for DANNIJO, it was instantly clear that collaborating with Indego Africa was about a whole lot more than just people feeling good about themselves. In many ways, it was, for DANNIJO, a return to their roots. In 2006, Danielle visited Lwala, Kenya and co-founded a non-profit organization called L.W.A.L.A. (Live With A Lifelong Ambition), for which Danielle and Jodie designed a capsule jewelry collection. Indeed, the success of that philanthropic jewelry collection played a pivotal role in their eventually launching DANNIJO as a luxury accessories label in 2008.

Partnerships also work best when partners truly complement one another. For instance, it only took juxtaposing Danielle darting around the room with ideas practically flying off her tongue with Jodie carefully pouring over an arrangement of images spread out before her for us to realize the explosive potential of this sisterly duo.

For Indego Africa and DANNIJO, we had to initially cast aside some of our obvious differences – DANNIJO blends a bohemian rocker vibe with timeless sophistication while Indego Africa blends unapologetically nerdy competence with, well, unapologetically nerdy competence. But the startling (and highly promising) array of collaborative approaches and ideas that sprung out of our short visit was proof in the pudding that these two organizations complement each other well and that this partnership is built to last.

We at Indego Africa absolutely love when successful woman entrepreneurs around the globe find creative ways of encouraging the work of blossoming women micro-entrepreneurs in Africa. From the bottom of our hearts, hats off to you Danielle and Jodie for blazing your own entrepreneurial trail and for remaining grounded enough to keep making a difference while doing it.

-Conor French and Deirdre McGuigan

(Photos: Artisan women, jewelry pouches, awesomeness)

Indego Africa and VisionSpring Team Up to Provide Eyeglasses for Artisan Women in Rwanda: Part Two

After learning that poor eyesight was causing significant problems for many artisan partners in both production and in the classroom, Indego Africa partnered with VisionSpring, a social enterprise committed to global proverty reduction through the sale of affordable eyeglasses. In two parts (read Part One HERE), Rwanda team member Laila Qaimmaqami reports from the field on her experiences orchestrating everything from initial sight tests all the way to placing orders for first-ever pairs of eyeglasses for almost 200 women.

If you haven’t already heard, Indego Africa is on the forefront of the social enterprising fashion and home decor consumer goods scene. In the last year, we have grown exponentially, integrating new partner cooperatives, building in-country capacity, and striking exciting deals with top retail clients like Anthropologie, Nicole Miller, DANNIJO Jewelry, ShopBop, and Steven Alan. Indego Africa is thrilled to provide our artisan partners with more and more opportunities for work and income, but an uptick in production also means even more strain on artisan eyes. As a result, Indego Africa's partnership with VisionSpring could not have arrived at a better time.

Despite the streamlined process and method provided by VisionSpring, certain challenges nevertheless arose. One was turning away people who were not Indego Africa artisan partners. At partner cooperative Hope in Kigali, one mother brought along her cherubic six-year-old son. At Kayciru Hospital, where partner cooperative Mpore Mama is located, a nurse tried to squeeze herself onto the list. Each departed disappointed, but such instances only reconfirmed the importance of making available affordable eyeglasses in Rwanda. While we had to limit our own involvement to our artisan partners, we could seek some solace in our collaboration having opened an entry point for VisionSpring into Rwanda.

Challenges aside, the VisionSpring project proved an amazing experience that took us on intrepid bus rides to all corners of the capital city and beyond. In just under four weeks, Indego Africa screened over 230 women across eight partner cooperatives! The personal stories shared by some of our artisan partners left an indelible imprint on us. For instance, like most of our artisan partners, Emerthe survived the 1994 Genocide. She suffered severe head and leg injuries from grenade shrapnel. Eye surgery years ago attempted to fix some of the damage caused to her eyesight but she hasn’t been able to afford any follow-up treatment. Being able to provide her with single vision glasses was memorably fantastic even though in an ideal world we would also be able to ensure that she received further medical attention that her condition almost undoubtedly warrants.

And here I’m going to cycle back to social enterprising. So the answer to the question raised in Part One is “No.” Given the regulatory implications in play, as well as our pressing desire to help these hardworking individuals to see better and live healthier, more productive lives, Indego Africa chose to provide our artisan partners with eyeglasses free of charge.

Were our artisan partners to contribute for their own pairs of eyeglasses, a sense of responsibility and ownership might have been shifted to them rather than to Indego Africa. Eyeglasses in hand, perhaps the women would reason individually or collectively, “Well, I’ve come this far. Might as well forge ahead and pay for a trip to the clinic.” Or not. It’s hard to say. Time spent away from the cooperative means less income and, for the majority of these women, money is empowerment, their ticket to a better, more secure existence for themselves and their family. To treat them as true business partners, Indego Africa must accept that that what we might want for them will not always line up with what they want for themselves. And that is okay. (To this point, some members chose not to show up for the screening tests.) Even the notion of empowerment takes on a different hue. Color it in we may try, but in the end it’s up to the women to take control of their lives. The best we can do is to give them the knowledge and the tools - or the eyeglasses! - to get there.

Thanks to the entire Indego Africa staff, VisionSpring, and in particular to Jean de Dieu Niyomugabo, Valens Rutazihana, Yves Ndashimwe, Chantal Musabimanaand, and Deo Gakuba for their invaluable assistance. And a BIG BIG thank you to Mrs. Marcella Halter, whose overwhelming and much-appreciated generosity has made this project possible for these incredible Rwandan artisans.

-Laila Qaimmaqami, Rwanda intern for Summer 2011

(Photos: at top, an artisan at partner cooperative Susuruka logs her eyeglass order, at middle, a lineup of sample eyeglasses and screening forms, and, at bottom, another artisan at Susuruka models her new eyewear)

Indego Africa and VisionSpring Team Up to Provide Eyeglasses for Artisan Women in Rwanda: Part One

After learning that poor eyesight was causing significant problems for many artisan partners in both production and in the classroom, Indego Africa partnered with VisionSpring, a social enterprise committed to global proverty reduction through the sale of affordable eyeglasses. In two parts, Rwanda team member Laila Qaimmaqami reports from the field on her experiences orchestrating everything from initial sight tests all the way to placing orders for first-ever pairs of eyeglasses for almost 200 women.

Indego Africa loves a good challenge! One of our Summer 2011 challenges entailed providing as many of our artisan partners as possible with a pair of high-quality eyeglasses to correct for near vision and for presbyopia, a natural deterioration of the eye after the age of 35. To get this done, Indego Africa forged a strategic partnership with VisionSpring, who gladly (and very graciously) provided us with an assessment and implementation framework and protocol as well as access to affordable, high-quality eyewear.

Providing eyeglasses may not at first blush sound like something extraordinary, but with increasing acuteness we came to understand just how difficult it was to work and learn for women who struggled to see on a daily basis. When we initially raised the prospect of providing eyeglasses at each partner cooperative, there wasn’t a single one that didn't burst into deafening applause.

No matter their geographical location, member count or specific skill (sewing, weaving, knitting, etc.), all of our partner cooperatives agreed that poor vision among their membership was cause for more than passing concern: threading a needle was difficult if not impossible, using the knitting machine for hours on end was straining, and weaving small strands of imigwegwe (banana leaf) or imfunzo (papyrus) was tiring.

Older women felt that their deteriorating eyesight marginalized them from younger ones and even many younger ones felt frustrated by their own poor vision. Regardless of age, each of our artisan partners rightfully linked concern about their vision and health to their learning productivity and the quality of the products they invested so much time and energy into making. And so were we!

Once the eyesight issue surfaced in full, Indego Africa needed no convincing that eyeglasses would immensely benefit our artisan partners - both professionally and personally. What initially stumped us, and engendered a robust and healthy internal debate, was whether to supply the eyeglasses for free or to ask each women to contribute to their cost? It’s a deceivingly simple dilemma that reflects inherent tensions arising within any social enterprise model. Confronted by this question, we took a hard look at the situation.

On the one hand, as a social enterprise, Indego Africa's mission is to empower women to make informed, market-driven business decisions that ultimately provide them with a sense of ownership and steady income. To dole out the eyeglasses for free would be more in line with traditional charity. To have our artisan partners contribute in some way would perhaps be more in line with our governing principles - Independence, Development and Governance - as well as give them a stake in ownership and caretaking of the eyeglasses. On the other hand, eyeglasses in Rwanda are surprisingly expensive: a pair of bifocals can cost upwards of $40! Perhaps unsurprisingly, the majority of our artisan partners had never put on a pair of eyeglasses let alone had the opportunity to even consider owning and wearing them. There was, however, one additional constraint. As an INGO export company registered in Rwanda, Indego Africa does not sell products in Rwanda. Even if well-meaning as an initiative, asking our artisan partners to contribute for their own pair of eyeglasses might pose regulatory concerns.

So what did we do? Stay tuned for Part Two on Monday to find out and to read more stories and challenges from Indego Africa's recent VisionSpring project .

-Laila Qaimmaqami, Rwanda intern for Summer 2011

(Photos: at top, an artisan at partner cooperative Susuruka, a constituent cooperative of Ingenzi Knit Union, newly-bespectacled and grinning and, at bottom, Laila and fellow Indego Africa team member Valens Rutazihana conduct vision screening tests at partner cooperative Cocoki)

Product Spotlight: Indego Africa's New Sweetgrass Necklace

Transplanted sales and marketing manager, Dana Fetch, reports from the field to kick off the much-anticipated launch of Indego Africa's upcoming Summer 2011 collection.

A proud member of the Indego Africa team for almost a year now, I have worked primarily from the New York City office with a focus on the sales and marketing. On June 1st, I packed my bags and headed to the “Land of a Thousand Hills” for a summer long dive into Indego Africa’s in-country activities.

Thrilled to join Indego Africa's largest Rwanda-based team to date, I had long anticipated the day in which I could finally meet the diverse, talented group of artisan women at the heart of the Indego Africa community. From the older, high-spirited banana weavers at Twiyubake to the more youthful, energetic seamstresses at Cocoki, I was immediately awed by observing in-person the women’s skill, creativity, and thoughtful decision-making!

It is with much enthusiasm that I am proud to now announce the first of Indego Africa’s new Summer 2011 products: The Sweetgrass Necklace! These necklaces were crafted by artisans at Coovamaya, a weaving cooperative in Mayange, Rwanda that recently began working with Indego Africa. From the onset of production when the women were dyeing imegwegwe plant thread, the dedicated artisanry of the 180 women at Coovamaya was already apparent. Suffice it to say, I am not the least bit surprised that the result was a beautiful collection of necklaces.

Sold in sets of three, the Sweetgrass Necklace is available in either a gorgeous array of blues or a striking set of neon pink, blue, green, and orange. Golden rings augment the beauty of the color-blocked design and, as is the case with all Indego Africa products, each Sweetgrass Necklace includes a personalized product tag with the name and signature of the artisan woman who produced it.

During my stint in Rwanda, my admiration for our artisan partners has only grown (and by leaps and bounds). In addition to deepening my understanding of their artisanal repertoire and techniques - from dyeing to weaving - this experience has allowed me to see firsthand the pride and excitement that each of them takes in their work…(not to mention exposed me to their highly-promising modeling skills!). SHOP NOW to generate income for these entrepreneurial women while boosting your summer wardrobe!

-Dana Fetch, Sales and Marketing Manager

(Photos: artisan women at Coovamaya flash their versatility, at top, weaving new Sweetgrass Necklaces and, at bottom, modelling them)

Regional Board Update: July in the CHI

Indego Africa truly began as a grassroots movement and nothing epitomizes these humbling origins better than the continued commitment of our regional boards spread now across eight U.S. cities. The Windy City is home to one of Indego Africa’s longest standing regional boards, and they recently dropped us a line about their most recent projects. Check it out!

FIRST, Indego Africa tabled at the burgeoning Dose Market – a year-round marketplace featuring Chicago’s most innovative fashion, artisanal food and high-design vendors. Indego Africa peddled its Nicole Miller bracelet collection and Plateau Baskets to an energetic and aesthetically discerning crowd.

Not only was Indego Africa pleased to participate at this latest Dose Market happening, but it was incredibly honored to be the inaugural exhibitor in the Dose Market’s “Just ‘Cause” campaign - an initiative sponsoring participation by a local or national charitable organization. We are very grateful to the Dose Market’s organizers for this special recognition!

SECOND, on July 14th, Chicago hosted their Third Annual Benefit at the supremely funky and elegant Green Home Chicago Design Center. Set amid unique eco-friendly interior design products and accompanied by the music of afro-beat jazz ensemble L’Orchestre Super Vitesse, scores of young professionals ate, drank and conversed. The evening was punctuated by a presentation from COO/CFO Conor French who described the model, goals, and progress of Indego Africa. With a mixing and mingling between supporters new and old, the Third Annual Benefit proved a wildly successful night on all fronts!

That’s all the Chicago news for now - stayed tuned for more. And to my fellow Chicago Regional Board members, thank you again. Y'all rock!

-Josh Lebowitz, Co-Chair of the Chicago Regional Board

(Photos: At top, Alexis Worley, Co-Chair of the Regional Board, stands guard at Indego Africa's table at the Dose Market and, at bottom, supporters gather at the Third Annual Benefit)

Indego Africa Publishes its 2010 Annual Report

Indego Africa is pleased to today provide Social Enterprising’s loyal readership with a 2010 Annual Report.

The end of any given year may seem to some like an arbitrary cut-off point for an organizational portrait. And it may be. But we feel strongly that, as an organization, not taking advantage of such customary temporal delimitations to ask yourself the important questions would be missed opportunity. So what did we at Indego Africa accomplish in 2010? In one word, growth.

And what do we mean by growth? Check out some key highlights from 2010:

• Programmatic Growth: Integration of over 150 new artisan women from Ingenzi Knit Union and Abasangiye into our programming

• Developmental Growth: Significant strides across critical social metrics such as earned income, food security, access to running water, and quality of life for our artisan partners (see our Social Impact Report)

• Market Growth: Promising new retail partnerships with Anthropologie, Nicole Miller, ShopBop, Steven Alan, and Polo Ralph Lauren

• Personal Growth: Emelienne Nyiramana, founder and treasurer at partner cooperative Cocoki, participated in Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Entrepreneurship Program (more information HERE and HERE)

• Financial Growth: 211% increase in revenues from the prior year, including a 265% increase in product sales revenue and an 183% increase in donations income

For a full version of the 2010 Annual Report, click HERE.

With this 2010 Annual Report, we invite you to commemorate a banner year with us. So read away and dig into the rich panoply of images, memories, and results from 2010. I think you will come away with a lasting impression of Indego Africa as an organization and a development community on the rise.

Rosemarie Rossetti has said “adversity precedes growth.” I would only add that I think we will soon find out for ourselves that strategic and measured growth itself precedes further growth. In fact, we at Indego Africa are already looking forward to sharing what is shaping up to be a memorable 2011 with you.

-Conor French and Rachel Tennenbaum

Indego Africa Proud to Participate in Africa Fashion Week

Where fashion began. This is the tagline of Africa Fashion Week New York (AFWNY), a luxury multi-day event happening in New York City from July 14th through 17th. Those three words are intended to conjure up a centuries-old story of African style - traditionally known for, among other things, bright cloths, intricate beadwork, and vibrant colors. Those three words are also what make AFWNY so tantalizing; the play between contemporary African designers and traditional African craftsmanship ensures that this is as sharp a sartorial event as they come.

AFWNY is put on by the global fashion agency Adirée, as well as a diverse assortment of partners and sponsors. AFWNY will include runway shows, vendor exhibitions, and industry networking events, all with the purpose of giving voice to and raising awareness about African fashion. More specifically, buyers and industry influentials will have the chance to connect with African designers, while 2,000+ audience members will participate in the week’s many happenings. Proceeds from AFWNY go to non-profit organizations in support of Africa-related causes.

Lastly (drumroll please!)…Adirée has been generous enough to donate a space to Indego Africa at their vendor exhibition! That's right! We will be front and center at AFWNY this July showcasing bags, jewelry and other new accessories, all while mingling with the who's who of African fashion. We are thrilled to participate and cannot wait for all of the beautiful designs that will undoubtedly be on display. Stop by and say hello!

-Deirdre McGuigan and Rachel Tennenbaum

AFWNY will take place at Broad Street Ballroom and a schedule of planned events is available HERE.

Introducing Indego Africa's Summer 2011 Interns

We at Indego Africa are consistently humbled by the steady stream of highly qualified (and motivated) individuals that walk through our doors with each new season. This summer is no exception. Please join us in welcoming a deep and talent-rich summer 2011 intern class.

Sara Dushey (Fundraising & Development): Sara is an MPA candidate at NYU’s Wagner Graduate School of Public Service focusing on International Development. Prior to joining Indego Africa, Sara worked on an Israeli-Palestinian economic peace initiative and then for the Joint Distribution Committee, a leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization. Sara is keen on marshaling her extensive fundraising expertise to push Indego Africa to meet our lofty 2011 development goals while deepening her own understanding about the anatomy of a social enterprise (an ultimate win-win scenario). Sara holds a B.A. in International Relations and Political Science from Brandeis University and can often be spotted around town doing yoga, sewing, or listening to music.

Kelsey Eng (Graphic Design): Last spring, Kelsey collaborated with SOIL (Sustainable Organic Integrated Livelihoods) to design their marketing and branding materials. The eye-opening experience propelled Kelsey to seek out more graphic design engagements across the non-profit sector. Motivated by the saying "Women Hold Up Half The Sky," Kelsey is eager to apply her graphic design acumen to the challenges of raising global awareness about Indego Africa, our economic justice mission, and, most importantly, our dynamic artisan partners. Kelsey is a Communication Design student at Washington University in St. Louis and is constantly looking to further expand her horizons.

Laila Qaimmaqami (Rwanda Program): Laila recently completed her coursework for an M.A. in International Business and Humanitarian Project Management at the Université de Provence in Marseille, where she has lived for the past five years. This career trajectory in international development represented a dramatic shift for Laili following several years of work in education and communications. Laila previously interned with Médecins du Monde (Doctors of the World) with the Harm Reduction Mission, where she worked on cross-border development projects with Italian NGOs. Following her stint on the ground in Rwanda with Indego Africa, Laila will return to France to defend her thesis on women’s economic empowerment and social enterprise. Laila holds a B.A. in English Literature and Italian from the University of Maryland and passes her down time cooking, traveling, kayaking, and hiking.

Allie Taylor (Sales & Marketing): Allie is an MBA candidate at the NYU Stern School of Business, specializing in Social Innovation and Impact, Global Business, and Luxury Marketing. Allie is interested in leveraging the fashion industry to create sustainable social change. At Indego Africa, Allie is able blend her prior experience in product development and merchandising with retailers Target and The Limited with her experiences in fundraising and developing strategic partnerships for the non-profit organization KaBOOM!. Allie holds a B.S. in Business from Miami University, where her coursework in economic development helped her frame an understanding of the wide possibilities for women's empowerment through education and employment. As a Social Impact Internship Fund fellow, Allie is spending her summer with Indego Africa and also working to launch a social enterprise partnering with women cooperatives in India.

Rachel Tennenbaum (Communications): Rachel is a graduate student at NYU’s Gallatin School of Individualized Study, where she studies social enterprise and international development, with a concentration in sustainable food systems. Before returning to graduate school, Rachel worked at the brokerage firm, E1 Asset Management, and as a facilitator with the youth anti-nuclear organization, Think Outside the Bomb. Her professional interests in organizing, administration, and cross-sector collaboration are what led her to social entrepreneurship and to the communications department of Indego Africa. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from University of California, Santa Cruz, where she edited the university paper, City On A Hill Press. A practicing Buddhist, Rachel is a regular on the city's yoga studio and museum circuits.

Valerie Varco (Sales & Marketing): Valerie is a second-year MPA Candidate at NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service with a specialization in International Nonprofit Management and Policy. With an interest in building social enterprises in impoverished communities, Valerie was attracted to Indego Africa’s sustainable business model, commitment to measuring impact and emphasis on entrepreneurship training for its artisans. Before enrolling in graduate school, Valerie worked with a number of non-profit organizations, helping them to define their communications and outreach strategies. Valerie holds a B.A. in History from Colorado State. In her spare time, Valerie enjoys traveling, taking photographs, and exploring New York City.

Ryan Williams (Legal): A second-year scholar in NYU Law’s Mitchell Jacobson Leadership in Law and Business Program, Ryan’s professional interests lie at the intersection of these two disciplines. However (and fortunately for us), his personal interest in law and business remains firmly tethered to a strong sense of social responsibility – a quality he attributes to his mother. Ryan studied international development at UCLA and serves as the Executive Director of NYU's Law and Social Entrepreneurship Association. In his "free time," Ryan is launching a start-up social enterprise aimed at creating a sustainable and profitable market for solar energy in Africa by utilizing existing cell phone coverage to monitor home solar energy systems via text messages. As demonstrated by his experience, Ryan is convinced that the future of business will involve the active alignment of profit-generating models and social interests - Indego Africa is simply ahead of the curve.

Adding a promising new intern class means expectations will remain sky high for a productive and change-making summer at Indego Africa. And that is exactly the way we like it. To quote the one-hit 1980s wonder Timbuk3, "the future's so bright, [we] gotta wear shades."

-Conor French and Ben Stone

Explore the World of Indego Africa on Design/Story

Starting today, Indego Africa and some of our best-selling products will be featured in a week-long campaign on Design/Story, an online site that showcases an assortment of globally sourced designs together with the unique stories behind them. Design/Story’s vision is to bring innovative design and the stories of their designers to life by providing a shop-tainment experience that allows a community of design lovers to explore, purchase and engage with modern home and lifestyle products and their untold stories. Through week-long campaigns, Design/Story spotlights the best and most interesting designs from around the world on an exquisitely crafted site.

Design/Story initial discovered Indego Africa’s products at our booth at the New York International Gift Fair this past January. A few months later, we now have the privilege to be featured in one of their design campaigns. Indego Africa’s collection is a natural fit for Design/Story, as each of our handmade products carries a remarkable story: whether the story of Indego Africa, the story of one of our partner artisans, or the broader story of how social enterprises can create positive change in the global community.

The campaign, entitled “Indego Africa: Good Design For A Good Cause,” will feature our banana bracelets, plateau baskets, textile bracelets and more, and runs from today, Thursday, May 26th, to next Wednesday, June 1st. Sign up is required but free. If you miss the campaign, stay tuned - you might even see some of Indego Africa's products as part of Design/Story’s permanent collection!

We are so excited for this artistic new partnership and so proud for Indego Africa's handmade product line to be showcased in the Design/Story community! Be sure to check in throughout the week by going to https://www.designstory.com/design-studio/indego-africa.

-Deirdre McGuigan, Retail Director

Indego Africa Wins Fair Trade Award for Product Design

Indego Africa is delighted to today announce its receipt of the Fair Trade Federation’s 2011 award for “Excellence in Product Design.” The award acknowledges exceptional work in the field of product design for Indego Africa’s collection of Nicole Miller bracelets, encompassing both textile bangles made by its partner cooperative Cocoki and woven bracelets made by its partner cooperative Covanya.

“Indego Africa stood out among the ten nominees for our 2011 Excellence in Product Design Award,” explained Mary Rose Parrish, the Fair Trade Federation’s program manager. “Their hip, innovative design and responsible use of materials have resulted in a great product that both speaks to consumers and creates a tremendous impact on artisans’ lives.” The notable fair trade accolade stamps an exclamation mark on part one of what is shaping up to be a dynamic and ongoing collaboration between Indego Africa partner cooperatives Cocoki and Covanya and designer Nicole Miller.

Indego Africa is a proud member of the Fair Trade Federation, a trade association that strengthens and promotes North American organizations committed to fair trade principles such as transparency, capacity-building, prompt and fair payment, environmental sustainability, and safe and empowering workplaces.

Despite its status as a relative newcomer, Indego Africa has elbowed its way to rapidly become a standard-bearer among North American fair trade organizations. Last year, Indego Africa was honored by the Fair Trade Federation with the coveted “Most Positive Change in a Producer Community” award at the 2010 Fair Trade Futures Conference.

Winning isn’t everything (or so says sagely youth sports coaches), but it does mean a lot when it validates the considerable relationship-building and development efforts of so many. Indego Africa is very grateful to the Fair Trade Federation for this recognition and overjoyed that it can share it with partners as uniformly outstanding as Cocoki, Covanya, and Nicole Miller.

-Conor French

bluma/Indego Launch at Anthro, Shopbop and Steven Alan!

Indego Africa is excited to announce a fabulous new fair trade line -- "bluma/Indego" -- of tote bags and cosmetics cases, now on sale at Anthropologie, Shopbop, and Steven Alan!

Designed by bluma project’s Beth Schaeffer, and hand-crafted by the talented women at Indego Africa's partner co-ops Cocoki and Abasangiye, these stunning bags are from made from Dutch wax cloth and feature traditional African prints and warm summery palettes of teal, pink, yellow, orange and blue. Why wait, shop now!

• The Lined Shopper features a contrasting lining and both an inside and outside pocket and is a great choice to carry your beach essentials. Available at Shopbop and Steven Alan (Venice, CA, Tribeca, and East Hampton).
  

• The spacious Patchwork Weekender features an array of dazzling textiles and a zipper closure, making it perfect luggage for a weekend getaway to the shore. Available at Steven Alan (locations above).
  

• The Stitched Cosmetics Case features a contrasting lining, and a zipper closure. It’s the fashionable way to carry your make-up and tackle clutter. Available at Shopbop and Steven Alan (locations above).

• The Market Tote Bag is an upgrade on an Indego standard (available on our online store). These bags feature matching linings, an inside and outside pocket, and now come in all new patterns! Available at Anthropologie, Shopbop, and Steven Alan (locations above).
  

These chic bags will keep you looking great all summer and best of all, as with all of Indego Africa’s products, all of our profits are re-invested in long-term skills training programs for the artisan women.