Africa Unite in Fast Company’s ‘The Change Generation’ Feature

Just click on the link below to open the player and check out the Fast Company piece on the ‘Change Generation’ that includes Africa Unite.

http://video.fastcompany.com/plugins/player.swf?v=7866997cb79f1&p=fc_social

“It may not be a beautiful reality, but it is a reality beautifully executed.”

Click on the image above to see Mimi Mollica's unveiling of the real Senegal.

Mimi Mollica was tired of Africa being synonymous with those images of war, impoverishment, and bloodshed gracing the television screen. He insisted that it was time for a different approach that unveiled what is going on behind the scenes.   “For me, it was important to portray a different Africa than the one of war, natural disasters and diseases,” said Mr. Mollica, who is based in London. “I wanted to portray an everyday Africa, one that has to deal with the major issue of development.”  In his new collection, ”En Route to Dakar,” Mollica follows the story of Senegal’s changing urban landscape and road to the nation’s future.  His work is truly astounding and I can assure you, speaking from my experience in Ethiopia this summer, that this is the REAL Africa. Mollica’s work was recently featured in the New York Times, and his collection can be seen by clicking on what he considers one of his “most symbolic” pictures above.

Headlines: SmartWear for Smart Women

Click on Headlines’ most popular scarf, “The Alex,” above to see the company’s feature story in Fast Company.

Angela Morabito has been making her mark on the fashion scene.  Her new product line is called Headlines: SmartWear for Smart Women. Morabito’s line of scarves and headbands promote the message that beauty and brains are not mutually exclusive.  Each product is enscribed with an inspirational quote that is meant to empower women everywhere.  ”The Alex” insists that ”only great minds can afford a simple style” while “The Lily” maintains that “style is a simple way of saying complicated things.”  One thing is for sure – Headlines is making a statement and people are listening.  Headlines has been featured in Subourbon Wife and Fast Company in light of its recent success.  The community has been hailing the eco-friendly, pro-women movement as the fusion of glamorous fashion with social responsibility.  In case you’re looking for another reason to choose Headlines, ten percent of the company’s profits go to Room to Read, a charity that funds education in the developing world.  

Be sure to check out Headlines’ fall line, now available exclusively through the online store at www.HeadlinesSmartWear.com.

Compass Partners Goes National

Compass Partners, the college-focused social business incubator and training program, has selected 75 college Freshmen hailing from five universities across the US as the next social entrepreneurs in the Compass Fellowship. Following a rigorous application and interview process that started with nearly 700 college freshmen, American, Georgetown, George Washington, Indiana and Tufts University each now have a passionate group of 15 new Compass Fellows who will work together over the next two years to develop innovative solutions to some of the world’s greatest problems. Meet the 75 Compass Fellows. Through the Compass Fellowship, students engage in personal growth and business skill modules where they will grow and learn from leaders in the community. Fellows will receive guidance and mentorship from upperclassmen students who coordinate the program at their schools. They will be connected to internship opportunities that allow them to gain hands-on experience in areas of passion. Finally, Fellows will each receive the resources necessary to launch social business ventures that encompasses their passions and enable them to develop financially sustainable solutions to pressing social issues. To learn more about the Compass Fellowship, visit www.compasspartners.org.

Here’s a quick 3 minute video introduction to the fellowship: http://vimeo.com/13114520.

Africa Unite Featured in CSRWire

Click on the CSRWire Logo to Check Out the Africa Unite Feature

Africa Unite Presentation, Georgetown University

Below is the Africa Unite presentation from the Lohrfink Auditorium at Georgetown University as a part of the Compass Fellowship Gala. The May 3, 2010 presentation featured 15 blossoming social ventures from the Georgetown community. This video captures the essence of Africa Unite, and I hope you take the time to enjoy it. As my closing suggests, “We are going to revolutionize the world; We are going to revolutionize trade and the standard of living in Ethiopia.” Let’s make it happen.

To see the other Compass social business presentations, visit Compass Partners online at the “Inspire, Enable, Sustain” YouTube channel or follow the link: http://www.youtube.com/user/InspireEnableSustain. This community is a hot-bed of up and coming social ventures, and I would highly recommend you take the time out to look through it. You won’t be disappointed, and I truly believe these concepts and institutions will serve as the foundation for the future of business. Businesses featured range from solar energy to redefining the donation experience to fashion accessories that empower women. Thank you in advance for your support.

Pictures from the Africa Unite Trip to Ethiopia

It is good to be back in the United States and returning to some sense of normalcy after a month-long hiatus abroad. I have been getting a lot of requests to get the pictures from the trip to Ethiopia online. Click on the picture below to access just over 200 pictures from the mission to Ethiopia that includes, but is not limited to, the Dima School, Goma Kuteba, the Underground Church, the countryside, and Addis Ababa. I hope you take the time to page through our adventure. Enjoy. 

The pictures from the trip to Ethiopia

Not the End, Just a Beginning

It’s over. It’s amazing how fast two weeks can go by. This is our last day in Ethiopia and I couldn’t have asked for more out of this trip. Due to a hectic schedule and some spotty internet connections and electricity, I haven’t been able to access the internet for the last few days. Let me catch you up and give you some reflections on this experience.

 We were shown another great time this weekend, checking out the nightlife in Addis and the surrounding areas. Again, I was thoroughly beat by the end of the night and needed a long night’s rest to recharge. Sunday was nothing more than a day of rest, taking a walk into the village for a little while but nothing more than that. Also, Sunday was the beginning of a long line of “goodbye” meals with all of the people that we had met over our two week stay. Can’t say ‘no’ to a good meal..or four.

 We visited the Red Terror museum on Sunday and saw the atrocities that took place in Ethiopia in the 70’s. For those of you that are not familiar with this tragedy (I know I wasn’t), Lieutenant Mengistu led a military coup that overthrew the Emperor Haile Selassie. Mengistu then purged any individuals that posed an opposition to his movement or vision for the country. A “wanted” list of 755 individuals (most of them college students) led to the systematic extermination of these individuals and many more. Sammy’s family was forced to flea the country or risked being among the killed. However, some of Sammy’s father’s friends were not so lucky. Store fronts and government buildings were turned into torture and execution chambers. Tanks rolled through the streets with rebels being lined up and executed by firing squads into mass graves. This is one of the most underreported travesties in the history of the world. Somebody needs to put this in a history textbook. In all, approximately 500,000 individuals were murdered under Mengistu’s reign of terror. I was thoroughly sick to my stomach after walking through the memorial. The things I saw, looking at what humans can do to one another, makes you question: why? The message rang true on the statue that adorned the front courtyard, “Never, ever again.” I think that’s something we can all agree on.

Monday was a day at the Mercado, the second largest open air market in Africa – after Cairo, Egypt in case you were wondering. The sight was absolutely incredible, with shops lining the streets for more than two miles. Shoe stores with thousands of shoes; hat stores with more hats than I have ever seen in my life. I put my negotiating skills to work and purchased a few things. It’s important to constantly have your hands in your pockets as to avoid the atrociously high incidence of pick-pocketing. But the scene and experience was nothing short of spectacular.

Now, one more important piece of news. And my family doesn’t even know about this yet, so they will be reading this for the first time with all of you (and quite possibly jumping out of their seats). I was offered a job next summer to come back to Ethiopia and teach English at the Goma Kuteba School (see the earlier post if you haven’t already – it’s amazing) and coach the school’s soccer team. I realize the immense impact this decision will have on my future and do not plan to take the decision lightly. It’s going to require some real introspection and consideration. I honestly don’t know what my answer will be at this point. The opportunity can’t be simply dismissed. But I will say this: the two weeks I have spent in this place, with these people, makes you realize there may be no better place on Earth. It may look like so many have so litte, but the smiles that you see sweeping across their faces, the resolve, and the love. Well, I don’t know. You always here “you don’t need a lot of things to be happy.” I think being around these people has finally allowed me to figure out what that means.

Finally, I’d like to take an opportunity to thank all of you that welcomed us into your homes and showed us just amazing hospitality in helping bridge the trans-Atlantic gap from our own loved ones in America. You truly became like second families and I thank you for that. Gossa, Atkilt, Dereja, Ahmen, Getachew, Genet, Hilina, Binni, Mama, Mitti, Kuasi, Hamara, Gaucho, the Doctor (as he is affectionately called) and everyone that stopped by at one time or another for a meal, an afternoon, or just to talk: Thank you so much for everything. This list is not exhaustive, but is rather a sampling of the amazing people that I have had the opportunity to meet and that have forever changed my outlook on life. And I’d like to thank all of you for visiting my site on a regular basis and following the trip. I hope you got as much out of and enjoyed my experiences as much as I did documenting them. I believed this before, but am truly convinced of it now: EVERYONE SHOULD SEE AFRICA IN THEIR LIFETIME. It is truly unlike anything you have ever imagined or could even fathom. But it’s extraordinary. These words, the pictures, the videos, they just don’t do it justice.  Don’t take my word for it – come see it for yourself.

The next stop on the trip: Amsterdam. From there, to Brussels and London. It’s going to be a different world to say the least. But I am thoroughly looking forward to it. Thank you all for your support and to everyone that made this experience possible. There is clearly a lot of room for development and growth in Ethiopia, but after seeing the Goma Kuteba School and the overall character of these people, I have no doubt that the future is bright for this nation.

Days 9 and 10: The Countryside

CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE FOR MORE PICTURES FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE

Days 7 and 8: Family and Business