The Value of Startling Statistics

Hans Rosling's 2006 TED conference talk on public health statistics is one of my favorite presentations of all time. He makes great use of technology to illustrate health trends and developments over decades and has such an infectious enthusiasm for what he's discussing that viewers (ok, me at any rate) are swept along by his story. If you haven't already seen it, it's highly recommended.

I was delighted to learn from my colleague Claire Morgan that Rosling's website, Gapminder.org, is a rich source of valuable information: not just public health, but also agricultural data, information on the changing status of developing countries, and human rights and democracy information. For example, here is a graph of worldwide internet usage from the Gapminder website.

There is also a library of videos (including all of Rosling's TED talks), data sets, material for teachers, and some very cool downloads.

Gapminder's "subtitle" is "unveiling the beauty of statistics for a fact based world view." Rosling and his colleagues have definitely brought a sense of wonder as well as a sense of the beautiful to their work. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

- Karol

(The photo of Hans Rosling is from blog.ted.com).

New Product: Tripod Bags!

Since beginning my internship with Indego Africa, I have really enjoyed seeing the beautiful handicrafts that the women at the cooperatives have made. I have always had an interest in handmade products, and after I graduated I decided to start on a little venture of my own. My first step was joining Etsy - an online marketplace for artists similar to Ebay. My second step was to photograph and post my items. I imagined this would be a relatively simple task - I was wrong. It ended up being a constant battle to avoid shadows, get better camera angles, and keep a steady hand. After many failed attempts, and awkward photos, I realized the difference between a good photo, and a GREAT photo: A Tripod!

So, as Indego Africa's sales and marketing intern, and amateur photographer, I am happy to announce our new line of Tripod Bags (CLICK HERE TO SHOP AND LEARN MORE)! The amazing women at our partner coops, Cocoki, make each bag using traditional Dutch wax cloth, which feature stunning African prints, padding to ensure protection, a drawstring closure for easy accessibility, and a strap that runs the length of the bag for convenient transport. Whether you're a professional photographer, or an amateur like myself, our distinctive tripod bags are the perfect way to store and carry your tripod.

- Crissy Vicendese, Summer 2010 Sales & Marketing Intern

Social Enterprising Toilets

Sanitation is a big deal. Millions of people get sick each year because they don't have access to clean water and/or appropriate sanitation facilities.

Here's an op-ed from the LA Times arguing that we do something we don't often do: talk about poop and, more specifically, the urgent need to find ways to help solve sanitation problems by making toilets more accessible to more people in the developing world. From the op-ed: 40% of the people living today still use the outdoors for defecation. Just imagine, yikes. . .now, imagine how entrepreneurs - social and traditional - might help.

I've written earlier about EcoTact, a private sector project in Nairobi that is providing toilet, shower, and water facilities in the Kibera slums. Here's another post from Social Enterprise's website on this topic.

More recently, I learned about Vision Foundation's work supporting the use of EcoSan toilets.

Produced in South Africa, EcoSan toilets are dry/waterless, have no sewer connection, and use no chemicals. They aren't cheap but they do offer a sustainable alternative to the current convention. While it may not be glamorous work, I'd say that the entrepreneurs who find creative ways like these to tackle one of the world's most pressing public health issues are real heroes.

- Karol

(the photo of an EcoSan toilet is from the WesnetIndia.org website).

Indego Africa Rocks Los Angeles

Cheers to Indego Africa’s Los Angeles Regional Board on the success of their inaugural Happy Hour! On May 26th, a vibrant crowd filled the patio of the Warszawa Restaurant in Santa Monica as board members eagerly spread Indego’s message of empowerment. As a show of support, enthusiastic guests spent several hundreds of dollars on handicrafts and raffle tickets with all proceeds going back to the women of Indego Africa. Ben Stone, Indego’s Senior VP & General Counsel, shared personal experiences and video footage from Rwanda. And the evening ended on a high note as Baba Uppal conducted a spirited live auction! Check out the photo slideshow below:



The L.A. Regional Board is looking forward to their next event in the fall. If you live in Southern California and would like to join the board or would like to be notified about future events, send an e-mail to my fantastic Co-Chair Lindsay at lindsay.mcallister@indegoafrica.org.

- Eric Mills, Co-Chair, LA Regional Board

Development & Rwandan Coffee

Jeff Holme's regular podcast from Kigali, Rwanda - Arresting Development - is always intriguing. I was really interested to hear Podcast VIII, an interview with Rwanda Trading Company's James Dargan. RTC purchased the old monopsony buyer of Rwandan coffee beans, Rwandex, this past year and is working with Starbucks to import high quality Rwandan coffee into the US market. I've worked on this topic for a couple of years now and continue to hope that quality improvements in coffee cherry processing, combinded with a stronger supply chain (and lower transport costs associated with Rwanda's entry into the EAC), will help coffee farmers increase incomes and improve their lives. So far results have been encouraging -- drink up!

- Karol

(Photo from front page of Rwanda Trading Company website)