Indego Africa的动态

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