If you are on the hunt for the perfect sandal, you need look no further. No joke. The sandals from Sseko Designs are perfection in sandal form. You can tie them fiftyeleven different ways, and if you need a pair in another color, you merely have to buy another set of straps. Genius!
But, I know you don’t just want a pair of sandals. You also want to help make the world a better place. Sseko Designs has you covered there, too. Their mission is this:
“Sseko Designs uses fashion to provide employment and scholarship opportunities to women pursuing their dreams and overcoming poverty.”
Based in Uganda, Sseko Designs provides employment for women so they are able to earn money to continue their education at university, which is something most of them would never be able to do otherwise, due to their impoverished and patriarchal society. According to their website:
“Sseko Designs hires recent secondary school graduates for this nine month period to live and work together, while earning money that will go directly towards their university education. These women will not make sandals forever. They will go on to be doctors, lawyers, politicians, writers and teachers that will bring change and unification to a country divided and ravished by a 22 year-long war.”
Now, I will warn you… if you venture over to their site, you may end up getting sucked in for several hours. I speak from experience. But those will be hours well spent. The story behind this company is no less than amazing and inspiring, and once you start reading, you will start dreaming of ways YOU can make a difference.
After reading the story behind Sseko, there were still a few things I was curious about, and Laura (Sseko’s Brand Advocate) was kind enough to answer my questions. One of the things I wondered about was why Liz, the founder, decided on a sandal. Of all things, how did she come up with that as their main product?
“Liz was living in Uganda volunteering at the school we partner with now. She had built a strong relationship with the people there, including several women who were finishing high school and looking forward to their next steps. When she realized that many of these bright young women would not necessarily have the opportunity to go on to university, Sseko was born. Liz (with the help of friends in Uganda) came up with the idea of making something with the first 3 Sseko women, and then selling whatever that would be in the US. It had to be unique, and Liz racked her brain until being reminded by a friend of a sandal Liz had crafted in college in Missouri. So she set off to find the right materials in the local markets, and the rest is history.”
This feeds into the next question I had… what came first, the business or the sandal?
“Technically, the sandal came first. Liz didn’t like flip flops that flopped, so in college she bought a cheap pair of flip flops, put some holes in some places, and tied ribbons through them to make the flip flops un-flop-able. So when the plan to help send the first 3 Sseko women to university came up, Liz’s cheap-o sandals became the foundation for the beautiful sandals we make today. She started off selling sandals out of the back of her car, as she had promised she’d make enough to send these 3 ladies to school. She did that, and gained more attention than expected, and thus the business began with a plan to continue empowering and educating these female students in Uganda while growing the Sseko brand!”
With so many different ways to wear the sandal, I needed to know which ways were the favorites of those behind the brand:
“My favorite way would likely be the classic thong style (which I see Liz sporting often as well). Perhaps Bohannon’s best tie is one of all of our favorites though (hence the name)!”
I know I’m really talking up the sandal, but Sseko is not a one-trick-pony. On July 2, they released their second line of clutches. And they’re not planning on stopping there, either:
“We recently just released our second line of clutches, which were a huge hit the first go around. We love them just as much as our Sseko fans, and are always dreaming up new possibilities for people to carry the Sseko story with them. While clutches and sandals are our bread and butter now, we’re certainly not done dreaming, so Sseko fans should continue to keep their eyes peeled. You can never be sure what we’ve got up our sleeves next!”
Well, I can’t wait to see what they come up with next. There’s a lot more I could say about this company, but it’s already said so well on their website, from how it all started to the stories of the women who work there. Seriously, head on over there and get inspired!
“We believe that every woman has a dream. When she is given the opportunity to pursue those dreams, we are collectively walking towards a brighter and more just and beautiful world.”
Don’t ever think 1 person can’t make a difference.
Stay in touch with Sseko Designs by liking them on Facebook, following on Twitter, and joining their email list!
