Having been around East Africa and Madagascar work at Ethnic Supplies started in earnest in September, that's the work of finding a market for all the wonderful hand products.
I found my self at a Women' Fellowship in Long Ditton in Surrey addressing it's members by sharing the producer's stories as well as my own! I have never liked public speaking and this was my initiation and it lasted 2 hours! My audience was obviously impressed as they passed my details on to other groups and I am booked for 2 events next year!
I teamed up with the Madagascar Embassy in London and in October we held an exhibition to show case Madagascar as a country as well as the women's hand products. The exhibition was such as success that I have received requests from other African Embassies to help them carry off something similar. October was a busy month for me, I was invited to participate in the Commonwealth Education fund. This fund enables them to pay school fees for African girls for a whole year or so. The best thing about this system is that the fees are paid directly to the schools. In addition the spouses of the African High commissioner and Ambassadors, invited me to their fund raising dinner, in aid of the girl child of Africa.
October is Black History Month and I was proud to participate in the celebrations of Credit Sussie Bank in Canary Wharf . I was invited by the Voice of Africa to be a co-presenter on a women's programme to discuss issues that affect women but specifically how we Africans in diaspora can help address issues of poverty on the continent
November got off to a good start too with the local media here in Surrey running news items about Ethnic Supplies. When I set up Ethnic Supplies, my hand was literally held by the Surrey Business Link. When they decided to run road shows entitled WHAT IS STOPPING YOU aimed at women looking to get into business for themselves, Ethnic Supplies was selected a show case business. I was given the opportunity to address attendees, by telling them how and why I got started as well as the challenges and how I have overcome them. Someone I met at this event told me about a museum in Exeter Devon, she thought they might be interested in the cotton bags from Tanzania, and sure enough when I wrote to them they contacted me and placed a large for their gift shop! I am currently in talks with the London Zoo as well as a German Real Estate Developer.
All of this has come about through networks of people that I know as well as the new networks that I have formed and I am grateful to them.
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