Shop with your heart. Fund a Revolution.
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Who knew there was so
much hope in hay? Basket weaving is more than tradition in Senegal; it’s a
practical necessity. For several decades, Senegalese women have refined this
traditional craft, capturing the eye of artists and designers from all corners
of the world. Their baskets incorporate local hays and grasses, and more
recently, strips of reclaimed plastic prayer
mats for color accents. The artistry is instantly recognizable, and each basket
is as unique as the woman weaving it. But until now, the bulk of profits sailed
far away from the towns where they were needed most. Enter Jjangde. By encouraging conscious shopping, we
created a cycle of employment designed to keep resources in the communities
they come from and help give children the opportunities they deserve through
education. Yeah, we think it’s pretty cool, too.
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How
it works: one community at a time
Our
vision of a self-sustaining, scalable model began with one village in Senegal,
West Africa. From here we saw that this idea had the potential to grow and
serve multiple communities in need. The model is simple: local, hand-made
goods employ local entrepreneurs, Jjangde connects the handmade goods from rural
communities to global markets, and profits go to fund schools in the
communities where the goods were made. As the schools succeed, we hope to grow
across communities, countries, and even cultures. With a governing board of women from Senegal and Ousmane Gaye, Jjangde's COO and Founder, our programs are managed and owned by the people in Senegal, West Africa.
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Empowering women
The Jjangde chain of sustainability starts with women. Senegalese
women have long supported families of nine (or more) on a single dollar a day. Yet,
in spite of the highly coveted goods created in this tiny country, poverty and
lack of education greatly diminish a dollar’s reach. In the Jjangde chain of sustainability, our “practically not-for-profit model” takes the
revenue generated by sales of these artisan goods and funnels them into a
cyclical employment model. Women will earn far higher wages and the power to
comfortably support their families. Plus, the additional monies will directly
fund schools in rural villages.
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How Jjangde baskets keep kids in the classroom
Nearly 50% of rural
Senegalese children drop out of school before the age of 12, and a mere two
percent of girls attend high school. With the additional income from the
Jjangde model, families can send their children to school rather than keep them on
family farms due to lack of resources. Because half of Senegalese adults
have never been to school, this process will also help to establish a culture
of formal education. Providing Senegalese children with the opportunity and
culture to stay in school remains key to opening up their futures to other
avenues and changing the prescribed expectations of low wages for
livelihood.
It turns out that
endurance in education starts with women, too. We have an agreement with all of
our artists that as long as they are employed by the Jjangde cycle, they agree to keep their
children in school. Not only that, but these baskets' profits, directed
back into the community, can fund full-time schooling for over 100 children for
an entire year.
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What your purchase will do
When you purchase a
basket through this campaign (using the reward structure on the right), the
money funnels directly into the Jjangde cycle of employment. We are using IndieGoGo as a jumpstart for a process that
is already in action. With a test run of baskets, we were able to fund a summer
program that gave 300 students extra support for the upcoming school year. We
also fully funded one year of school for 110 students. Not only that, but we developed
an exchange program to strengthen the relationship between high schools in
Senegal and the United States.
Now we need your
help.
If we can raise
$50,000, Jjangde would be able to move into a full year’s worth of production. We would have the
capacity to hire 10 women full-time, open at least two schools, and bring an
inventory of 5,000 baskets to the states.
$100,000 would cover
administrative costs stateside and increase the reach and impact of our design.
In just one year, we could employ 20 women full-time, open several schools, and
educate hundreds of children with our
sustainable community-based model.
In short, by
shopping here with your heart, you will:
- Provide more girls the opportunity
to go to school
- Help break the cycle of poverty
- Fund community-based schools
- Employ women and improve
conditions not only for individual families, but for whole communities
Seriously, what
could be better?
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Join us
To date, over 50 volunteers have donated over 2,000 hours to
get this project off the ground. We have thrown in $25,000 of our own money.
Now it’s time to take this to the next level. Buy a basket or buy seven. Tell your friends, and your friends of friends. Send
your family our way, too. We have one month to raise $50,000, and we believe
that this is 100% possible.
When you buy goods through Jjangde, every purchase is a promise. Your
generosity becomes a handshake between you and our families in Africa. But it
doesn't stop here. Once we fund this campaign we need help to spread the word, to
place our products in retail stores, and to promote sales through our online
store. Any connections you may have, please let us know!
Our sincere thanks for helping us realize this dream. From
our point of view, it combines the very best of humanity with a humble and
idealized entrepreneurial spirit. We couldn’t be more proud to share it with
you.
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JOIN
US & BE A PART OF
JJANGDE'S WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT!
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Risks and challenges: learn about accountability on Indiegogo
There are risks and challenges inherent in the start of any new business venture. Due to the nature of handmade products, there may be a delay in production and/or delivery. However, we are prepared to hurdle any obstacle. We have a great team in place with expertise in small business and non-profit management, marketing and most importantly, team members on the ground in both countries. Plus, we have you, the Jjangde community. With you on our side there is no complication we can't overcome.
FAQ: have a question?
If the info above doesn't help, you can ask the project creator directly at valerie@jjangde.com. Please know that each of your questions will be heard, but we may be slow to respond due to an increased volume of inquiries.
