Stylish Approaches to Development

There’s a Sex & The City episode where Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) compares fashion to politics: “And really, what is the difference? They’re both about recycling shop-worn ideas and making them seem fresh and inspiring?” Parker was, naturally, talking about a man, but whenever I hear that line in the episode, I think about microfinance. In a world full of messy politics, there’s a constant demand for fresh, grassroots solutions to development. Social entrepreneurship is one of my favorite development ideas that is truly inspirational.

1) Microfinance encourages individuals to be independent. While in Amanfro, I met Anais. She was recently divorced and raising two young boys. Thanks to microfinance loans, she was able to earn an income high enough to pay for her own one room house, her sons’ education and food. She even encouraged her friends to start businesses of their own and she was one of the leaders in her local microfinance group. Anais made a courageous choice and through perseverance and hard work she succeeded in earning a steady income, without the help from any international aid agency.

2) The cash loans are placed directly in the hands of the poor, and they are driven by their personal incentives to turn this money into more money.  The poor themselves make the money go around – from the microfinance bank extending the loan to the entrepreneurs who invest the money and earn high returns and a higher income.  No Westerners are compassion of the poor that these families pull themselves out of poverty – it is because of their own self-interest to sell their locally produced goods to others so that they can fund their children’s education and healthcare.

3) Microfinance is a grassroots effort that has spread from small, local villages (not even located on a map) to some of the biggest players in the global economy (like the United States). How? Through fashion and free trade, which (in my opnion at least) is much more exciting than UN campaigns and government interventions.

Most microfinance-based businesses are run by women, so the entrepreneurs produce goods based on their comparative advantage. In other words, guys are skilled at building and fixing things. Girls specialize in jewelry and fashion. Here’s a picture of some beads I’ve purchased from a local African artisan:

Partnerships and trading with the West has allowed these local producers to sell their goods on the competitive world market.In October, a good friend of mine (Ajay Menon) invited me to Indego Africa’s annual party.We clapped with Rwandan dancers, mingled with development experts and had a chance to check out the display of Rwandan products for sale. Indego Africa is a nonprofit that partners with Rwandan women and gives them an opportunity to sell their products internationally. How exciting! Best part is, Indego Africa is not the only organization making this possible. High-end designers are exploring creative decisions of partnering with producers in the developing world. To name a few:

1) Famous for her couture dresses and wedding gowns, Nicole Miller has partnered with Indego Africa to sell bracelets made by Rwandan women.

2) Anthropologie sells knit scarves through Indego Africa. My favorite product is the napkin rings made from recycled paper and made available through the Bluma project.

3) Finally, my favorite is NY designer Rachel Roy. She’s a philanthropist and supports multiple grass root projects. Her lines (complete with jeweled animal rings and bold, tribal prints) definitely incorporate a taste of the developing world.

In the early 90s, there was nothing I enjoyed more than playing dress-up and modeling outfits. I had quite the collection: Belle’s yellow ball gown, Pocahontas’ wild suede dress, even a long, black Jasmine wig. Influenced by my mom (an artist) and mormor (a seamstress), I even took an entrepreneurial approach to fashion when I was 10 and sewed a few pieces of my own. Now, in my 20s, I’ve accepted my spectator place on the sidelines of the runway. As much as I love looking at runway pictures in Elle and People StyleWatch, my favorite designers are the unique entrepreneurs of the developing world. Fashion and sewing has been a big part of my family and it’s great to observe this type of art help families in the developing world. I will keep my fingers crossed that the investments made in these budding entrepreneurs never goes out of style.