The Sole of Africa

For years, politicians and activists alike have decried the sad state of African aid projects. The objection most frequently raised concerning new initiatives to help the troubled continent is that Western governments and charities are simply "throwing money" at the situation, rather than providing Africans with what they really need, namely jobs, trade, and capital.

Soul of Africa, a South African charity created in 2004, aims to attack the employment problem directly. Founded by Lance Clark and Mike and Sarah Gedye, the charity has raised over one million dollars for various projects, but more importantly, it has provided work for thousands of impoverished Africans, mainly widows and orphans whose family succumbed to AIDS. How do they do this?

Soul of Africa is a provider of low-cost, high quality, handcrafted shoes. The shoes resemble moccasins and are sold in major shoes retailers in both the United States and the European Union. Every time a pair of shoes is bought, the proceeds go directly toward new projects to help fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Sub-Saharan Africa. So far, Soul of Africa has gone a long way with its money, building everything from HIV information centers to community hospitals.

Much like the Freetrade products long available in Europe, Sole of Africa guarantees that its workers are not exploited, that they receive a fair wage, and that the company is run efficiently. Soul of Africa is adamant that it provides jobs, not aid, thus helping communities to help themselves. Perhaps Western governments could learn something from the private sector.

--Braden Chancellor, SGA Editor