Evelyn Botwe is helping African clothing and accessories designer enter the US market
At Adepa our desire is to create sustainable opportunities. Through capacity building, we serve as a conduit for the less privileged to have their African clothing and accessories available on the US market. We offer teenage mothers and sexual violence survivors the opportunity to learn the skill tailoring and accessory making. We believe we can make change happen, one person at a time.
Where do you see your company in the next 5-10 years? What's the dream?
In 5 to 10 years we plan on opening two store fronts in the United States and Ghana.
To have about 125 apprenticeship graduates and about 100 more enrolled.
Have facility/daycare for children of teen mothers enrolled in our apprenticeship program to learn while their mothers undergo skill training
To have a facility big enough to house and train our survivors
To be the go to brand for quality African clothing and accessories
What are the key differentiated features of your product or service? How different is it from the original version and what did you learn in the process?
What differentiates us from our competitors is that, we are a social enterprise. Our story sets us apart in a unique way. The people we work with to manufacture our products, our sustainable business model of training sexual violence survivors differentiate us from others. We have learned that, it’s a process and it takes time for people to know and understand the impact their purchase makes in the lives of other people thousands of miles away. The amount of effort needed to work with some of the underprivileged people is not easy but at the end of the day when we see them making progress in life, it is very fulfilling.
Why do you do what you do? What made you start? What keeps you going?
We saw a need to provide opportunities for others that needed it, in places where success is determined by what you own and who you know. We do what we do for our girls, they deserve a chance to learn a skill, to be able to fend for their babies and themselves. Our story keeps us going daily. The thought that, you are somehow responsible for someone gaining knowledge and a skill definitely keeps you working harder
What does it mean to "succeed"? Is it ever achieved or is it an ongoing journey?
To succeed means, to achieve a set goal. It’s a milestone along a journey. In a sense, it is a contextual objective based on your ultimate short-term or long-term goal. It is an ongoing process because, you set the bar higher every time you achieve a goal. So the ability to persistently persevere is needed to succeed.