Indego Africa

Hello Friends in Washington DC! Get a head start on gifting for the Holidays and stop by our Indego Africa Pop Up Event at Urban Grape TOMORROW, Sat. 11/9, 2-5pm. We'll have a curated assortment of artisan-made home and fashion accesories - perfect for gifting a hostess, colleagues, family.

We're #hiring a new Fulfillment and Office Manager in New York, New York. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We're #hiring a new Fulfillment and Office Manager in New York. Join our wonderful team and be a part of Indego Africa's mission to accelerate economic inclusion for women in marginalized parts of the world. Apply today or share this post with your network.

We hosted our annual gala on October 1st and what an incredible evening it was! The evening centered on the power of opportunity, of connection and of investing in women entrepreneurs. A message that was brought home by the incredible speakers, performers and Visionary Award honorees that joined us on stage. We had the honor to host Emelienne Nyiramana, one of our first artisan partners and now a member of the Indego Africa Rwanda team. Emelienne shared her journey from genocide survivor to university graduate, reminding us that sometimes all it takes is one opportunity to unlock a host of possibilities that can change your life. Her passion and commitment to create that opportunity through her work with Indego Africa is inspiring. “Each woman who partners with Indego Africa has her own story about how her life changed…What Indego does, it is a good model, and I believe this someday may pull a huge part of the world out of poverty.” We were humbled by how many of you raised your hand (or paddle!) to create those opportunities for our artisan partners. Your generosity helped us raise ~$200,000, getting us 2/3 of the way to our $300,000 end of year fundraising goal. Thank you to fellow non-profit Joe's Pub at The Public Theater for hosting our sold-out event, to the cast of Your Love, Our Musical, for creating a performance that showed a basket really can save a life and to the talented film editors Edan Winckler and Dalan McNabola who brought our brand story to life through video. While there’s more work to be done to reach our goal and expand our impact - we left filled with optimism for Indego Africa’s future. To serve more artisans and bring their heirloom craft into new environments will be a true honor. Help us hit our $300,000 goal by making an online donation: https://lnkd.in/e26CvwZP Watch our brand video here: https://lnkd.in/e4PJVr9w #visionary #entrepreneurs #connection #opportunity #womenwholead

We are honored to be one of the "trailblazing social enterprises" selected to participate & have the opportunity to deepen our impact with refugee populations in Rwanda. Nest Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA)MADE51

It was the bow tie in my laundry room that did me in.... What a week it has been! Indego Africa hosted our Annual Gala this past Tuesday (more on the Gala shortly!) which was a resounding success thanks to all the hardworking members of the staff and Board who made it a special night. The highlight of the evening was our special guest - Emelienne Nyiramana - one of our very first artisan partners in Rwanda beginning in 2007. She has since joined the IA staff in Kigali and works tirelessly to support women artisans like herself achieve financial independence. She is also a genocide survivor, mother of 4 boys and is the embodiment of resilience but with an open and soft heart. I had the privilege of spending most of the week with Emelienne at various speaking engagements as she spoke about her journey and Indego's impact on her life. Emelienne recounted the horrors of the 1997 Rwanda genocide against the Tutsi and its effects on her and the nation, and about her personal journey - the power of reconciliation and resilience. She spoke passionately about her current mission after joining IA as a staff member to support women like herself and connect them in tangible economic opportunities. Through all the talks, I sat by her and marvelled at her journey, bravery and pure will to get her story and IA's story out to new audiences day after day. But also I was focused on the time and the schedule and how are we going to all the way from 92nd street to 35th street in 20 minutes. I fretted about traffic and whether we would have time for lunch. Then yesterday all the engagements were done and I attempted to do the laundry. In my laundry room, I found a beautifully handcrafted bow tie that Emelienne had made and brought for my 8 year old son. I thought it was so sweet when she handed it to my son earlier in the week, but I was more focused on having my 8 year old say thank you in the way polite boys should. Now, seeing the bow tie in my laundry room, in such an ordinary place, I felt such a deep connection to Emelienne that brought me to tears. I could imgine her making the bow tie, packing it carefully in her giant suitcase filled with samples we had asked her to bring for work, then delighting in presenting it to my son. As a mother, I was so touched by how thoughtful this was and reminded of how I have the same wants for my children and their futures as Emelienne. I'm still crying whenever I walk by the damn laundry room with the bow tie sitting on the shelf. I feel so fortunate that I get to experience this type of real connection to the women in seemingly impossibly far away places we support. It's broadened my world and made me hopeful for what we can do when we can really see each other. Come join me in championing more connections for these women artisan entrepreneurs!!! #Growth, #Economics, #Jobcreation, #Entrepreneurship, #Innovation, #Businessgrowth, #Sustainabledevelopment, #Economicpolicy

Artisan skills are a vital tool to address the unique livelihood and financial challenges refugee women face. In Rwanda, refugee and local women learn and work side-by-side, building cooperative businesses that offer income, community and a network of support. read on for a look behind the scenes with MADE51 UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency

Honored to be featured on the latest episode of the Disruptors for GOOD podcast. Thank you Grant Trahant for taking the time to speak with Indego Africa CEO Suwha Hong. It's an honor to be on your platform! Check out the podcast episode here: https://lnkd.in/eewCQums

Join us in New York on October 1st to celebrate our exceptional artisan partners, each of whom are changing the future for themselves, their families and their communities. This year's program includes both the launch of our Visionary Award, and the opportunity to hear the inspiring story of one of our first artisan partners and current member of the Indego Africa Rwanda production team, Emelienne! We’re proud to partner with fellow non-profit Joe’s Pub, the iconic venue inside The Public Theater,?to host this year's event including a curated menu from chefs Andrew Carmellini & Angel Monge of Noho Hospitality. Visit our event page to learn more and purchase tickets. https://lnkd.in/eT-5x_zV

When it comes to women entrepreneurs, success is often despite the system, not because of it. According to estimates, there's a $1.7 trillion gap worldwide between the credit women need and what they're able to get. But by closing that gap, we can unlock as much as $6 trillion in global GDP. That's a net gain for the world we can't afford to pass up. (Melinda Gates, Bloomberg) I am reading this insightful article by Melinda Gates on Giving Tuesday and feeling proud to be part of Indego Africa. Our mission is to narrow the gap, supporting artisan women entrepreneurs in Rwanda and Ghana by facilitating connections to the global commerce market. We take a 360-degree approach, providing education, vocational training, access to capital, production support, and purchase orders from the most discerning companies in the world - Loewe, Shinola, Tory Burch, to name a few. Learn more about Indego Africa and our work to empower women entrepreneurs: www.indegoafrica.org. To learn how you can get involved connect with me! https://lnkd.in/dnu-jDG7