It takes a village to make a difference…

In Africa there is a belief that ‘I am because we are’ as opposed to the more narcissistic Western attitude of ‘We are because I am’ – This deeply ingrained sense of community, putting the ‘WE’ before the ‘I’ is a powerful tool that empowers in ways few people can appreciate.

One of the many admirable facets of African culture is how people come together to create things. It may be music, food, wood carvings or beautifully crafted textiles – what matters is the combined inspiration and commitment to creativity that people bring to the proverbial ‘party’.

Truly, the world has always been fascinated by Africa. It’s the cradle of humanity, where art and culture first took a foothold and shaped the development of a plethora of people across the globe. Living on such a culturally rich landscape, how could one not expect exceptional work of art?

Kaross is not simply about the beauty and passion that goes into creating incredible products. It’s about the longlasting effect of job-creation on a community. What’s more is how the jobs are created FOR the women in rural areas, developed AROUND who they are and their potential. It’s not a job telling them WHAT to do and HOW to do it - this is something they’ve handed down over many generations and it is Kaross’ mission to provide opportunities based on these pre-existing skills and wealth of experience.

Africa needs more companies who actively seek to improve the lives of others. The global sector should be looking to Africa for examples of community in action. If we don’t encourage upliftment and the realisation of potential, then what are we doing? What kind of a community are we fostering and what is the end result if we forget about the ‘we’ and lose ourselves to the ever-lonely ‘I’.