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Runner Joan Cherop overlooking Kenya’s valleys.
Made-In-Kenya: How this pair of running shoes are going to change lives in Kenya
Kenya is known around the world for producing some of the planet’s greatest running champions. Its reputation for running has sparked an interest in runners from around the world, who flock to the high altitude training regions in Kenya just to breathe the same air as their sporting heroes.
It was the global attention Kenya attracted that led Navalayo (Nava) Osembo-Ombati, and Nairobi based ONE member Weldon Kennedy, to design a running shoe that will not only be made in Kenya, but create a sustainable income for the local community. As Weldon puts it; “There is no other place in the world that you can make a Kenyan-made running shoe”.
We love that Nava and Weldon want to use their company, Enda (which means “Go” in Swahili), to initiate social change in Kenya.
Enda’s aim is to create change in the local economy through empowerment and ownership, and they (along with development experts and the government of Kenya) strongly believe the Kenyan economy will benefit from behaviours guided by the “buy something from Kenya rather than give something to Kenya” principle. Although the company is still in the Kickstarter phase, Nava and Weldon have some serious plans for the future…
Nava, who was born and raised in Kenya, is familiar with the conditions of poverty and sexism that affect local communities and can hamper individuals from achieving their full potential. “I’m a product of education. Luck has come, but education has given me lots of opportunities,” Nava told us. She graduated from the London School of Economics and is qualified as a lawyer AND an accountant! It is these academic and career achievements that have made Nava stand out as a leader and role model to young Kenyan girls – some of whom approach her regularly for advice on how they too can succeed in Kenya’s patriarchal society.
It is essential to Nava that Enda embodies a strong sense of social responsibility and empowers vulnerable individuals by providing them with equal opportunities to earn sustainable livelihoods and achieve security. The shoe company plans to employ men and women to do the same jobs, and also plans to operate a childcare facility on site so that single parents can earn an income while knowing their babies are in safe hands.
Enda is also focused on ways they can share their success with the Kenyan community outside of employment. Nava and Weldon will be bookmarking a percentage of their profits for distribution to local community projects that are excelling at what they do. It can be difficult to secure funding for small development projects, so the co-founders of Enda want to make sure that projects seeing good results in local communities can continue to deliver.
In addition to empowering individuals and providing stable, sustainable livelihoods, Enda is also on a mission to change the world’s perception of Kenya. “We are more than politics or terrorism”, Nava emphasised; “Kenya is a country of innovation, creativity, and of people making change”.
Nava and Welden believe Kenya’s narrative can be rewritten – that there is room to be known as a source of great quality runners AND great quality products.
To stay updated on Enda’s journey follow them on Twitter or Facebook and check out their Kickstarter Campaign!
Source: https://www.one.org/