Indego Africa Project

INDEGO AFRICA PROJECT, A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, HAS BEEN PROPELLING THE CREATION, GROWTH, AND SUSTAINABILITY OF WOMEN-OWNED BUSINESSES IN AFRICA SINCE 2007, PROVIDING EMPLOYMENT THROUGH A GLOBAL MARKET FOR THEIR HANDMADE PRODUCTS AND INVESTING IN THEIR EDUCATION. OVER 2,000 ARTISANS HAVE PARTNERED WITH INDEGO AFRICA SINCE ITS INCEPTION. WHAT BEGAN AS A MODEL TO EMPOWER AND EDUCATE WOMEN IN POST-GENOCIDE RWANDA, HAS GROWN INTO A COMMITMENT TO HELP WOMEN, YOUTH, AND REFUGEES ACROSS AFRICA BECOME SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEURS.

OUR VOCATIONAL & BUSINESS TRAINING PROGRAM HELPS UNEMPLOYED YOUTH AND REFUGEES BUILD THE SKILLS TO INTEGRATE AND SUCCEED IN THE GLOBAL ARTISAN ECONOMY WITH THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES: MASTER A SPECIFIC HANDICRAFT TECHNIQUE FORM, REGISTER AND RUN AN INDEPENDENT WOMAN-OWNED COOPERATIVE BUSINESS BECOME INDEGO AFRICA SUPPLIERS AND PRODUCE HANDMADE GOODS FOR THE EXPORT MARKET OPEN BANK ACCOUNTS FOR THEIR BUSINESSES WITH INCOME EARNED JOIN THE IGICERI CREDIT UNION IN RWANDA, FOUNDED BY GRADUATES OF INDEGO'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IMPROVED LIVELIHOODS FOR THEMSELVES AND FINANCIAL ABILITY TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.PROVIDE ACCESS TO CAPITAL THROUGH THE IGICERI CREDIT UNION IN RWANDA, FOUNDED BY GRADUATES OF INDEGO'S LEADERSHIP ACADEMY

MARKET ACCESSPROVIDING ARTISANS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO EARN STEADY, SUSTAINABLE INCOME IS A KEY ELEMENT OF INDEGO'S MARKET-BASED IMPACT MODEL AND INTERNATIONAL SUPPLY CHAIN. BY EXPLAINING PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS AND CONDUCTING QUALITY CONTROL OUR PRODUCTION TEAMS IN AFRICA HELP REINFORCE OUR PARTNERS' PRACTICAL SKILLS WITH THE ONSITE GUIDANCE THEY NEED TO CREATE HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL EXPORT MARKET. INDEGO ACTED SWIFTLY WHEN THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WAS DECLARED IN MARCH 2020 AND THROUGHOUT 2021 TO COUNTER-ACT THE IMPACT OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ON OUR ARTISAN PARTNERS, INCLUDING LOCKDOWNS IN THEIR COUNTRIES AND SHUTTERED STORES IN THE US WHERE THEIR PRODUCTS ARE SOLD. WE CREATED AN ARTISAN LIVELIHOOD PROTECTION FUND TO SUPPORT STEADY ORDERS, DESPITE LACK OF CLIENT DEMAND, WITH INDEGO BEARING THE COMMERCIAL RISK OF BUILDING UP INVENTORY.

BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERSHIPINDEGO AFRICA BELIEVES THAT EDUCATING WOMEN IS THE KEY TO LONG-TERM EMPOWERMENT AND SOCIAL CHANGE. THROUGH CUSTOMIZED EDUCATION PROGRAMS, INDEGO'S PARTNERS DEVELOP THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS THEY NEED TO RUN AND SCALE THEIR OWN BUSINESSES, BECOME EMPOWERED ENTREPRENEURS, AND DRIVE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. OUR EDUCATION PROGRAMS, PAUSED DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC DUE TO LOCKDOWNS IN RWANDA, RESUMED IN JANUARY 2021.