Nicholas Grandy
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<div style="text-align:justify; valign:top">Indego Africa, a proud member of the <A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://indegoafrica.org/fairtrade')">Fair Trade Federation</A>, employs a simple yet powerful <A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://socialenterprising.indegoafrica.org/')">social enterprising</A> business model: (a) partner with cooperatives of <A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://indegoafrica.org/development-partners.html')">world-class artisans</A> in Rwanda; (b) sell their masterful fair trade handicrafts at <A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://indegoafrica.org/retailpartners')">high-end retailers</A> across the U.S. and on Indego Africa’s WebStore; (c) pay the women a fair wage, including 50% up front; and (d) return 100% of the profits for training in culturally-tailored <A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://indegoafrica.org/handup')">training programs</A> in business management, entrepreneurship, organic gardening, computer skills, and literacy.</div><br />
<div align="center"><br />
<A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://twitter.com/Indego_Africa')"><img src="http://indegoafrica.org/images/stories/IndegoFrontPageImages/FrontpageGraphic.jpg.jpg" width="400" height="170" border="0" alt=""></A></div><br />
<div style="text-align:justify; valign:top">With Indego Africa, you not only receive gorgeous African handicrafts for every occasion, but you are also able to personally connect with the specific woman who crafted your purchase: the name and signature of each artisan is featured on the product tag (select products), with a variety of information and media about them on our website.</div><br />
<div style="text-align:center; align:center"><br />
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</div>
<div style="text-align:justify; valign:top">Indego Africa sets itself apart from both commercial handicraft exporters, which provide only income, and traditional non-profits, which focus only on skills or hand-outs, by offering an innovative hybrid approach. This business model helps the women in our partner cooperatives to take care of their immediate needs, diversify their income-generating and entrepreneurial skills, and cultivates self-worth and confidence. Indego Africa’s social enterprise model is also both replicable and transparent – institutional values that promote both sustainability and growth.<br />
<br />
But Indego Africa doesn’t stop there. Further innovations include:<br />
<br />
<b>Harnessing Local Talent</b> ~ Indego Africa conducts its training programs through a ground-breaking internship program with Orphans of Rwanda International (<span class="caps">ORI</span>), an inspirational nonprofit that provides university scholarships to high-achieving orphans;<br />
<br />
<b>Eliminating Middlemen</b> ~ Positioning Indego Africa as the only intermediary between the women of our partner cooperatives and individual buyers or retailers in the U.S.<br />
<br />
<b>Ground-Breaking Partnerships</b> ~ Working together with sister organizations to address needs beyond our immediate expertise, such as <span class="caps">ORI</span>, Gardens of Health, ToughStuff International and International Justice Mission.<br />
<br />
<b>Verifiable Social Impact</b> ~ Measuring and reporting the social impact of programs using quantitative (survey, third party review) and qualitative (interview) assessment tools.<br />
<br />
<b>Transparency & Ethics</b> ~ a committment to the highest standards of transparency and ethics in all its operations and its interactions with the public, government and partners.</div>
2009-05-13T12:42:45-04:00
about-us
3314412
2009-05-13T12:42:45-04:00
316622
ABOUT INDEGO AFRICA
2009-09-24T16:26:30-04:00
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// End -->
</script>
<div style="text-align:justify; valign:top">Indego Africa, a proud member of the <A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://indegoafrica.org/fairtrade')">Fair Trade Federation</A>, employs a simple yet powerful <A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://socialenterprising.indegoafrica.org/')">social enterprising</A> business model: (a) partner with cooperatives of <A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://indegoafrica.org/development-partners.html')">world-class artisans</A> in Rwanda; (b) sell their masterful fair trade handicrafts at <A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://indegoafrica.org/retailpartners')">high-end retailers</A> across the U.S. and on Indego Africa’s WebStore; <notextile>(c)</notextile> pay the women a fair wage, including 50% up front; and (d) return 100% of the profits for training in culturally-tailored <A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://indegoafrica.org/handup')">training programs</A> in business management, entrepreneurship, organic gardening, computer skills, and literacy.</div>
<div align="center">
<A HREF="javascript:popUp('http://twitter.com/Indego_Africa')"><img src="http://indegoafrica.org/images/stories/IndegoFrontPageImages/FrontpageGraphic.jpg.jpg" width="400" height="170" border="0" alt=""></A></div>
<div style="text-align:justify; valign:top">With Indego Africa, you not only receive gorgeous African handicrafts for every occasion, but you are also able to personally connect with the specific woman who crafted your purchase: the name and signature of each artisan is featured on the product tag (select products), with a variety of information and media about them on our website.</div>
<div style="text-align:center; align:center">
<object width="500" height="405"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/02yOzTfH9WU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/02yOzTfH9WU&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x402061&color2=0x9461ca&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="405"></embed></object><br><br>
</div>
<div style="text-align:justify; valign:top">Indego Africa sets itself apart from both commercial handicraft exporters, which provide only income, and traditional non-profits, which focus only on skills or hand-outs, by offering an innovative hybrid approach. This business model helps the women in our partner cooperatives to take care of their immediate needs, diversify their income-generating and entrepreneurial skills, and cultivates self-worth and confidence. Indego Africa’s social enterprise model is also both replicable and transparent – institutional values that promote both sustainability and growth.
But Indego Africa doesn't stop there. Further innovations include:
<b>Harnessing Local Talent</b> ~ Indego Africa conducts its training programs through a ground-breaking internship program with Orphans of Rwanda International (ORI), an inspirational nonprofit that provides university scholarships to high-achieving orphans;
<b>Eliminating Middlemen</b> ~ Positioning Indego Africa as the only intermediary between the women of our partner cooperatives and individual buyers or retailers in the U.S.
<b>Ground-Breaking Partnerships</b> ~ Working together with sister organizations to address needs beyond our immediate expertise, such as ORI, Gardens of Health, ToughStuff International and International Justice Mission.
<b>Verifiable Social Impact</b> ~ Measuring and reporting the social impact of programs using quantitative (survey, third party review) and qualitative (interview) assessment tools.
<b>Transparency & Ethics</b> ~ a committment to the highest standards of transparency and ethics in all its operations and its interactions with the public, government and partners.
</div>