Last night, I met with some old friends and some new at a reception in San Francisco.A delegation of trade ministers and ambassadors from Lesotho, Ghana, Uganda and Burundi were in town to discuss business opportunities with Bay Area businesses, including Gap Inc., which has been sourcing in the region for over a decade.
The invitation to meet came from Rosa Whitaker, the first Assistant US Trade Representative (AUSTR) for Africa, who now runs a firm created to support Africa’s engagement in the global economy. I’ve known Rosa since the late 1990s, when we were both working to convince Congress to support the passage of the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act. I hadn’t seen Rosa since we were together in Lesotho last May, and happily, the trade picture for Africa – and certainly for Lesotho – is looking even brighter today.
Rosa, joined by current AUSTR Florie Lizer, asked me give an update on (RED), both in terms of funds generated and trade engagement spurred by (RED) activities.
I passed around examples of products from each of our (RED) partner companies, and shared photos and stories from our launch on Oprah. The Gap t-shirts from Lesotho, the Motorola packaging from Lesotho, the Emporio Armani Owusu-Ankomah symbol graphics, the Converse mudcloth shoes – these all brought smiles and questions about how to drum up yet more collaborations.
There are entrepreneurs all across Africa looking for business opportunities. Finding companies – as well as consumers – that are interested in buying items and services from Africa is almost as big a challenge as the logistical hurdles that any startup business faces. (RED) has created an incentive and a connection point here… and we’re only just beginning!
--Tamsin
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6 comments:
What a GREAT post, Tamsin, and what a really beautiful picture too!
Thanks so much for letting us know about this reception for these wonderful business and trade representatives from Africa. It is truly inspirational to see how determined African entrepreneurs are. They give me hope for Africa's Future.
I was really glad to hear about Lesotho's progress in particular.
As you may know, I belong to a local organization that raises funds to assist HIV/AIDS affected families in Lesotho so I have immersed myself in this tiny country's challenges and hopes for their future. It is good to know that with the renewal of AGOA (African Growth and Opportunity Act) intact last year that Lesotho's future is looking brighter.
My favorite part of your post was this:
"There are entrepreneurs all across Africa looking for business opportunities. Finding companies – as well as consumers – that are interested in buying items and services from Africa is almost as big a challenge as the logistical hurdles that any startup business faces. (RED) has created an incentive and a connection point here… and we’re only just beginning!"
BRAVO, TAMSIN - you are completely correct. (RED) is a connection point to a better future for Africa's People and we are just beginning....
Take very good care of each other.
Blessings will always be around.
ALWAYS (RED) AT HEART - debbie
so happy for you tamsin, and so proud of your work that i'm realizing started back waaaay long before the kickoff of this (red) venture! still i'm surprised to hear more companies aren't stepping up to buy african-made products, i thot in these last few years the trend would have swayed extensively, thanx to the popularity of (red) and ONE.
i'm just learning how so much of this work we do is relation-based, such as your friend Rosa and now AUSTR Lizer, your influence and welcome there says much in regards to the importance of the (red) work. so i'm sure these delegates went home encouraged that you represent the best of the heart of americans who desire to help them have a seat at the conferences tables of the trade world that they more than deserve and have for too long been denied.
thanx for sharing (red) successes with them, and for sharing this with us.
stay close,
sammi =)
I couldn't find the link to the suggestions box for more RED products on the joinred.com website. I wanted to suggest Snapple's African Red Tea - it just seems like it would be such a perfect fit. Or what about Mountain Dew's Code Red? I'm so excited about the (RED) products and look forward to seeing more in the future!
Keep up the good work. Team Red! Hope consumerism can triumph over diseases such as AIDS, etc. and poverty.
thank you very very nıce thankyou very very much...
intersting blog
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