LILY Online Magazine Oct-Nov '13

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LILY Life & Style OD

“When I came to learn that many of these incredible young women were graduating from secondary school and struggling to find work to finance their university education, Sseko was born. It seemed so simple. I designed a sandal that I thought was really beautiful. I spent weeks, wandering around the city and the markets looking for the things I needed to make them. I didn’t know what I was doing. I laughed at myself, out loud, a lot.” Rarely do you read a company Mission and Impact Statement as powerful as Sseko Design’s. They have identified the key issues they aim to address in the community (you can read the full details and Ssekos solutions at http://ssekodesigns.com/mission-and-impact/) These are:

Issue #1: Female students, due to a lack of economic opportunity, are not able to continue on to university and pursue leadership positions in society.

Issue #2: In a patriarchal and male dominated society, women are not afforded the same employment and economic opportunities as their male counterparts. We also know that although 66% of the world’s labor is done by women, we own less than 1% of the world’s assets. As long as women are not afforded educational and professional equality, extreme poverty will continue to exist. Issue #3: Although charities and non-profits play a vital and necessary role in all societies, sometimes charity and aid can play a negative role by enabling dependencies and damaging the local economies. Like us, our African friends need and desire opportunity, dignity, job creation and empowerment. Why not lend your support to a company that not only provides a beautiful range of products but also provides support to a community.

VISIT THE SSEKO DESIGN WEBSITE TO SEE HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED WWW.SSEKODESIGNS.COM


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