Entrepreneurs Against Poverty…helping our 1st entrepreneur!“Even as a little African village-girl who owned only 1 red dress and no shoes, I loved fashion,” recalls Dalisey Brooks. Entrepreneurs Against Poverty selected Dalisey as its first recipient for a need-based start up grant in 2020.
“My background provides the inspiration behind my designs. The rope, the fabric, and especially the cushioning remind me of my roots. As a child I walked barefoot over long distances on hot tarred roads or uneven surfaces to get firewood or go farming. My sandals’ materials come from different parts of Africa–the ropes from here in South Africa, the fabric from Malawi where I was born. I pick out the best materials from local artisans who are also fighting off poverty.”
“Growing up in the village my most fondest memories are of having my family always around me. In the village where l was born, families all live together or close to each other. We all ate together and there was never division. I love the unity where what was mine was yours, yours is mine. Whatever happens to you, happens to me. We were happy, even when we would go to bed hungry. We would wake up the next day with greater hopes. At the end of the day, I had our family that loved me. And I loved them, and that’s what mattered.”
“Living in the village has made me appreciate everything. The experience has also helped me be more grateful for what life may bring. As I look back on life, I realize how grateful I should be. I look back and realize how far I have come. I now have more than one pair of shoes and more than one dress. I never before thought I would have that while in the village. I live in thanksgiving daily for all that I have experienced no matter how bad or good. I have come to realize these are the very events that have shaped me, remembering that where I am today is very different from where I was.”
When she first started designing sandals, Dalisey asked family, friends, work colleagues and even her former bosses what their thoughts were on the new designs. Then when her first pair was finished Dalisey started send pictures to her friends. They loved them. So she started attending local markets to sell the sandals and they did well. “Since then, I have met some extraordinary people from EntrAPov whom I can “Human Angels,” working with me to move my vision forward,” says Dalisey.
“I hope that people who wear my sandals know how important they are to me. They provide “stepping stones” for others. My customers are not just buying a product but rather, blessing someone’s life. They are playing a role in helping the world eliminate poverty and improving humanity. They are what I call, “ Human Angels.” (images: Milika the Fabric Supplier – above; Thabong the Shoe Maker – left.)
EntrAPov helps budding entrepreneurs in impoverished countries with:
- Capital
- Marketing
- Website design and hosting
- ECommerce set up
EntrAPov co-founders, Gary Lee Fischer (left) and Ben Davidson (right) initially wanted to provide micro loans. But after looking into the smiling faces of entrepreneurs like Dalisey, they decided to do grants in hopes that sponsors would come forward in the future to provide the resources to help more entrepreneurs than Fischer and Davidson can support out of their own personal funds.
When asked how the new charity organization, EntrAPov, is going; Davidson reports that the work is rewarding and we are learning a lot. We don’t regret a single moment, but we did “put the cart before the horse” in this first project. We should have done more research into the needs and wants of potential customers before producing our first batch of sandals. If we did it again, we would researched the following items to really understand the market before jumping in:
- Research online sandal sales to determine how buyers find sellers
- Research the total cost to produce, store inventory, advertise, and ship product
- Research advertising (paid ads, influencer marketing, and SEO)
- Answer questions like: How well can we tell Dalisey’s story? How much competition is there to get the story heard?
- Is there a niche for women who wear sandals and are looking to support a minority, female entrepreneur from South Africa?
- Do we know anyone in this niche who could be a potential customer?
- Do we understand this niche?
We’d love to get your opinion of the sandals through an online survey that shows different products and marketing concepts. Please share your thoughts at: https://forms.gle/XyELnGJLVHydjbZX7
There’s a lot more to come in this journey. Thanks for reading about Entrepreneurs Against Poverty…Day 2.
Dalisey’s sandals can be found at https://chipantha.com/.
-Ben & Gary Lee
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