SOCIAL AGENDA
Poverty is multidimensional. Factors beyond that of income must be
addressed to foster active participation across diverse communities.
This is why all the profits made by the project are fairly reinvested
into two areas:
(1) developing the business
(2) the Social Agenda
defined by the communities themselves accordingly to their needs.
The Social Agenda encompasses a range of activities; going from educational programmes to healthcare workshop and management seminars. These are carried out in the communities in partnership with different organisations who are specialised in these areas of work, such as the Zeitz Foundation and local experts, such as Dr. Gitau.
Read more about the social agenda activities here
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Social Impact Assessments
Poverty is multidimensional. Factors beyond that of income must be addressed to foster active participation across diverse communities. Assessing real benefit requires examining several dimensions of life and for this, local and international experts carry out Social Impact Assessments.
| The majority of those who participate in our programme have only primary education and some are illiterate. For instance, among the Maasai, despite yearning for it, 80% of women have no formal education. Maasai women have on average 8 children. In other communities, the average is 4. Of those surveyed, 40% live in informal dwellings ranging from manyattas of mud and thatch to shelters of timber and iron sheets. 54% fear eviction. Violence is a topic that many do not feel free to talk about. Over a fifth of those who work with us earn less than US$1 a day without orders from The Ethical Fashion Programme. With orders, they can earn $4 - $7. Casual labourers earn less while fundis (artisans) earn more. Interestingly, there is no correlation between the level of education and the income of the artisans: even with no education, an artisan who is highly skilled in his/her trade will earn as much as his production capacity allows.
The entire sample of women surveyed affirmed they had earned respect from their male counterparts, especially from their husbands, thanks to their ability to earn a living and to take care of family needs as well as restocking their animals.
A big order from Coop Italia came when Kenya was experiencing profound drought. All surveyed confirmed this order had enabled them to feed their families.
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- 94% confirmed
being involved with the programme has increased their self-confidence;
- 94% claim
they have been able to learn useful skills;
- 90% claim
that proceeds enable them to make improvements in where they live;
- 88% mentioned
their ability to make independent financial decisions as the most important
change in life and 54% cited the ability to invest as expressly indicating this
change;
- 86% claim
that their diets have improved thanks to workplace meals;
- 68% claimed the income allows them to eat three times a day.
Read some of the results of our latest Social Impact Assessments:
Social Impact Assessment Uganda 2011 (link)
Social Impact Assessment Kenya 2011 (link)
VIDEO
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