we have an exciting announcement to make. the full-time team Sseko here in the US is no longer a team of two. we've added a new addition and we couldn't be more excited about it. (and no. this is STILL not a baby announcement. sorry to disapoint.) 

we knew that the first person to join our little team of two in Portland would have to be special. we get that working with a married couple could be kind of intimadating. and let's be honest, neither Ben nor I have what can be described as "mild" personalities. we knew we needed someone who could hold their own, speak up and help us make Sseko great.

and we found her. her name is laura. she is smart and bold and passionate. a triple threat, if you ask me. she'll be officially joining us when we return from Uganda. she will be helping us take care of our existing retail partners and helping us find new ones. (retail partners, you're going to LOVE her. promise.) 

here is a little something from laura. feel free to stop by anytime to say hi to this growing crew!

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Hello all!  My name is Laura Corder and I am super excited to join the team here in Portland as the new Sales and Brand Advocate.  When I first heard about Sseko, I immediately thought to myself how cool it would be to work for such a purposeful company.  Less than a year later I found myself applying for the first opening in their US office! 

With a background in school counseling and social work, the thought of pursuing this position didn’t exactly track with everyone’s idea of what I would be doing (even mine at first, admittedly).  But I knew that no matter the job, I wanted one that I deemed important.  I am certain that in combining business savvy with people skills, at a company that supports women’s education and the Ugandan economy, I have found something to get behind here at Sseko.  Plus, who doesn't love the beautiful sandals and clutches?!

I moved to Oregon this summer from Virginia, and cannot wait to dive into all that is happening in this city, at Sseko Designs, and even, dare I say, East Africa!  Thanks to the co-dreamers for welcoming me to the dream team!

Love,

Laura

Auntie Matilda is dedicated. She is at work everyday and is always on time – and usually quite early. She sets the bar high at her work station, as she can sew more loops in a day than anyone else. She is humble, and she is diligent.  She has a bright smile and in the right moment- oooooh that girl can dance!

This month we had a big end-of-year cleaning day. We dusted the top shelves, hauled out bags of trash, and scrubbed the floors until they shined. But when you clean, there’s always the dirty job. The one everyone sees needs to be done but ignores. On this day, it was our scrap material storage room. Rain had leaked in the previous month and created quite the stink under some bags of scrap. I turned the corner to face the filth (when I finally concluded that no one else was going to do it), and I found Matilda. She was quietly cleaning and scrubbing the nasties away. And she did an amazing job. The place looked brand new when it was all finished. I was overwhelmed by her humility and hard work, knowing that if I hadn’t bumped into her there, it would have gone overlooked and unacknowledged. Rather than have that happen, Auntie Matilda was made our Employee of the Month!

Thank you so much for your hard work, humility, diligence, and kind spirit. We love you, Auntie!!

2011 was another great year for Sseko in Uganda. We have 11 more employees than we did at this time last year. We survived riots and teargassing in 2011. We survived week long power outages and taxi strikes. We moved our workshop from a hectic college-town to a lake-side property outside the city.  We made more shoes and straps than ever before. We have a new Director of Operations. We celebrated the birth of our first Sseko baby- a girl! We had our first interns from the US join us for the summer. We launched a new product line (yay for the Pleated Clutch!) And we learned more than we ever imagined we would.

To celebrate the conclusion of another year, we did what we love to do most: went to the beach! We don’t mean to rub it in your face, but there’s something so sweet about conducting your office Christmas party under a thatch roof hut on the shores of Lake Victoria. The highlight of the party was the conclusion of a 2-month Secret Santa saga. We drew names for the gift exchange back in October. Since then, the rumors and jokes have been flying about who drew who. I kid you not: some of the ladies were so surprised when they found out who drew their name, they cried. Serious tears of shock (and hopefully joy). It was dramatic. And awesome. Everyone walked away with something nice- clothes, jewelry, handbags, dishes- you name it. Secret Santa was a huge success and is hereby declared a new Sseko tradition.

As we end the year, we are so grateful. We are so grateful for the incredible women we work with. We are so grateful for the growth of Sseko, and we are so grateful for everyone who supports us here. It has been an incredible year.

(Drumroll, please. Go ahead. Drumroll. I’ll wait……)

she is….. 

AUNTIE FLORENCE!!!!

We tossed a few different names around, searching for the most outstanding performer. We mulled it over, discussed various achievements, scratched our chins, and concluded that our all-star seamstress was the winner. This month Auntie Florence has been flexible with designs, creative with materials, and steadfast in her work. She is often working in the background, reliable, and always always ready to flash you a bright smile. Others grab the spotlight more frequently and attract more attention for their work, but Auntie Flo is steady. We appreciate her hard work, her creative flexibility, and her motherly spirit. She will be recognized and treated with extra respect and honor this month, as it is HER month! Well done, Auntie!

And here SHE is! 

Yes, our first Sseko baby is {appropriately} a little baby girl! Baby Blessing Alice was born about 4 weeks ago to proud parents, Robinah and Robert. We Sseko ladies could only wait a week before we piled everyone into 2 vans and made the trek out to visit the happy family. Blessing Alice was promptly passed around the circle of 25 aunties, each of us only getting about 10 seconds before she was passed to the next eager auntie. She was peaceful and patient as an angel, while we all squawked and hollered, laughed and squealed at how stinking CUTE she is! It was also so wonderful to see Robinah, a staple in our workshop, whose maternity leave seems (to us) to be dragging on and on. We took the afternoon off of making shoes to celebrate life and birth and health and family...not bad for a Thursday!

Congratulations to Robert and Robinah. We wish you and your new family the best...we love you!

 Before I was born there was a wonderful women named Helen Mar who loved me without even knowing my name. From the day I was born I was given a little piece of her, I was given her name to treasure as my very own middle name. Once I was old enough to understand I was told that my grandma Helen had passed away before I could ever meet her. She passed away just a few months before I was born. I heard many stories of what an amazing mother she was to my own dear mum and I thought of my grandmother often as a child. She may have died young but her influence in my life has always brought me courage and strength.

To this day people still come up to me occasionally and ask if I am Helen's granddaughter and then proceed to tell me stories of her kindness. We still use her amazing recipes in our home and my grandpa still loves to tell me the story of how he fell in love with her and swept her off his feet. She was fashionable and kind, loved teaching children and loved people. My mother often comments on how alike my grandma Helen and I are. She tells me how we both have the same gentle, intuitive spirit, creative talents, and flare for fashion. Every picture I've seen, everything I have been told about my grandmother I treasure away deep in my heart.

I never want to forget that I had a grandmother who nurtured her family well, was truly loved and respected by her husband and was cherished by those who knew her. My grandmother fought breast cancer for a year and a half and died at the age of 57. Even though she died so many years ago she left behind a legacy far greater then she could have anticipated. She inspired and centered me all my growing up with the knowledge that my grandmother had lived such a full and beautiful life in such a short time. To me she is the most beautiful woman I could ever look up to or hope to be like. She was brave, she was beautiful and she is my grandmother.

And we are happy to announce that team Sseko in Uganda is now also one man: A son. An uncle. A husband.

I’m happy to introduce you to Brent, our new Director of Operations. Brent and his wife Courtney recently moved to Uganda and joined the Sseko family.

They are originally from Mississippi, although they’ve lived all over in recent years (thankfully, they haven’t lost those fantastic southern accents!)

They both enjoy being active- working out, playing sports, and water skiing (but have had to put that last one to rest, since Uganda doesn’t offer much in the way of water sports…yet)

Courtney works as a physical therapist around Kampala, but she still finds time to visit Sseko in her free moments. She is lovingly referred to as CoCo, since Courtney isn’t the easiest name to remember or pronounce. Brent, sometimes referred to as MR Brent…or Brian…or the Big Man, is a welcome addition to our office and management team.

Brent has a background in consulting and is a super whiz at all things systems, work flow, finance and really all the things that we need to keep this ship running smoothly and (here's that favorite buzzword!) sustainably.

He fits in so well; it doesn’t feel like he’s the new kid. We’re so grateful to have him working with us and helping us as we grow. We’re excited for our expanding Sseko family- babies and men so far…what’s next?!

*This is a bit long, but we promise, it is worth the read! Thanks so much to Amy Stokes for submitting the Richardson sisters for the Friday Feature.

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My mother is my very best friend. She is my confidant, my guardian angel, my hero. This is a story of my mother’s strength during her sister’s battle with cancer. But it’s also a story about my Aunt, a woman a barely knew, but who left such a large imprint on me. This is a story about the Richardson Sisters.

As children, my mother and his sister Lynne were never very close. Despite being a mere 2 years apart in age, they were two very different people. Lynne was an outgoing, political, go getter who loved to push the envelope. Whereas, my mother was a shy wall flower who felt more comfortable in the shadows desperately trying to not get noticed. At the age of 17, Lynne decided to move out of their parents’ house in Windsor, Ontario, Canada leaving her little sister behind.

You see, Lynne had plans for her life. Big plans. She wanted to travel the word and see everything there was to see. She lived in Europe, Asia and South America for periods of her life as a young adult. Throughout her travels she managed to learn 5 languages fluently, and collected artifacts, jewellery and clothing from her various destinations.  She and her husband even built their own boat and sailed it to Mexico where they lived for a couple of years.  Eventually she too wanted to settle down. She and her husband decided to move to Salt Spring Island, just off the coast of British Columbia, Canada. Here, she started 2 of her own businesses – both being very successful. A ma-and-pa’s pizza shop on the island was a town favourite and a coffee and treat truck that visited all the local businesses. She was also a photographer, capturing the beauty of the island and she volunteered in an animal rescue sanctuary nursing seals and other wildlife back to health before releasing them into the wild. In 1980,  she gave birth to her first and only child, a son.

In the meantime, my mother lived a very different life. She got married right after high school to a man who treated her poorly. She gave birth to a son, and quickly fled the unsafe and unhappy relationship she was in to protect her child. A few years later she met my Dad and the three of them started a life together – seven years later, I was born. My family settled down in Oakville, Ontario a quickly expanding suburb about 30 minutes west of Toronto, Ontario. Here, my mother lived a quiet life. She worked as a Customer Service Manager in a bank, drove her two children to school every day and attended all of their soccer, baseball, swimming, dance and piano practices.

My mom and her sister communicated on occasion through phone calls or letters. When my brother was 10 or so, my mother sent him to visit his Aunt in Salt Spring Island. I remember my Aunt visiting me twice, the first time when I was around 6 years old. She wore his long brown hippy dress and together we blew bubbles and did cartwheels in the backyard. She was so different than my mom; she was carefree, goofy and free-spirited. Seeing my mom and sister together, was basically watching strangers interact. They had been apart for so long; they didn’t know each other.

When Lynne was diagnosed with cancer, it took many months for her to call my mom and tell her. To this day, I’m not exactly sure of the reason why. Maybe she was too proud; maybe she simply forgot to tell her, I’m not sure. But I know her lack of notifying my mom, truly hurt her. However, it was this phone call that started something amazing; it connected the sisters for the very first time, probably in their entire lives. Suddenly, both my mom and Aunt realized that they only had limited time now to forge a relationship with each other.

My mom did whatever she could to help my sister, and that included taking time off work every couple of months to fly down to Salt Spring Island to be there with her.  My mom would stay for a few weeks most times, I remember begging to come with her. She always told me I couldn’t because I had school, or exams – but looking back now, I know I couldn’t go because my mom simply wanted time with her sister.

On my mom’s last trip to Salt Spring Island, she brought back with her several presents that my Aunt wanted me to have. 2 sarongs from her various travels, a beautiful white shawl that she knitted (which I am saving for my wedding), a black scarf (which was one of several that she knitted for all the “important women” in her life), her favourite necklace and a Guiding crystal. I was told to call my Aunt the next day, and she was going to tell me how to use the crystal. One of the only conversations I had with my Aunt as an adult, would also be my last. She told me that she and I were “kindred spirits” and that while we had only met a few times, she knew and she could feel it. She said that she wanted me to have the crystal because I was the only one that would be able to work it. She explained that the crystal would help guide my path in the future – and that she touched, and felt hundreds of them before choosing this one specifically for me. She said I would be able to feel its power. It wasn’t until my Aunt lost her battle with cancer a few weeks later, that I understood what she meant about feeling its power.

It was only after she passed away that my mother told me what happened when she used to visit my Aunt on the island. “We danced”, she used to tell me. Sometimes for now reason at all, Lynne would just start to dance, and my mom had no choice but to join in. “We hugged”, she said. When Lynne would take a nap, my mother used to crawl in bed with her, and they would just hug… not saying a word for hours on end. “We laughed”, she told me. Despite the pain and discomfort, they would find things to laugh about – no matter how small and seemingly insignificant. “We made things”. Together they finished building a yurt, a portable, felt-covered, wood -framed tent like structure traditionally used by Mongolic nomads (my Aunt loved it, as she could see the stars through the open roofed skylight). They also assembled a beautiful rock wall around their property, and together knitted tons of baby clothes for the grandchild my Aunt knew she would have but would never meet.

Though the story of my Aunt’s death is a sad one, it’s not without a thin silver lining. Her diagnosis created a relationship between my mom and her sister for the first time in their lives. Her diagnosis taught my mom of her strength and undying love for her sister. But above all, it showed both of them, that in the end, they really weren’t that different from each other. They both laughed, they both danced, and they both needed hugs every once in a while.

As I said in the beginning, my mother is my hero – and I think you can understand why. And while my Aunt will always remain a bit of a mystery to me, she gave me inspiration and guidance – and her Guiding Crystal will remain forever as my ‘lucky charm’.

Left: Aunt Lynne. Right: Amy Stokes and her mum.

Congratulations, Connie! We loved hearing your story and were so encouraged by your strength, peace, joy and service to your community. Thank you for being an inspiration to us! 

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OK, to tell you about Connie. Connie is a mom to 3 amazing children and a wife to a pretty cool guy. When I first met Connie 3 years ago what struck me was the sense of joy that radiates from her - all the time! She smiles and the room lights up. I'd see her from time to time at Church and she sang in the choir sometimes - grinning away as if she was totally in love with life!

About 2 years ago Connie noticed a lump in her breast and in her humble way hesitated to even mention it to her closest friends. Horror of horrors the lump turned out to be a very serious situation requiring a double mastectomy within a week or two of the first doctor visit. We all were stunned. How could this happen to such a young women (early 30's) with three tiny children to homeschool and care for? The medical processes took over their lives and everyone jumped into high gear to provide meals, household help, and childcare. The downside of homeschooling is that when mom gets really sick the kids need to be cared for all day long! It was a long, hard winter.  

By late Spring Connie was back and church and sharing that she actually had been dealing with extreme depression before her diagnosis and that the illness had thrown everything into clear focus for her, especially her faith. Her glow and joy returned, despite such a hard time. Laughter never really left the Helland household despite cancer's attack on them. Cancer tried to sneak back in this past spring but we all think it's a little bit afraid of all the joy in that woman!

Now I see Connie weekly because this special woman has added distributing free food we receive from the gleaners organization to her long list of things to do each week. She picks up the leftover food, calls all the recipients, comes to our church to sort and hand out the food - and she listens to each person as they tell their story.

She shows great care and love for each and every person, in her humble and joyful way. Her kids are engaged in this effort; making signs and helping to carry produce and dairy products. Their day stops when the gleaners call comes and they work together to help others less fortunate than they are. What a marvelous thing to teach your children! Connie cares deeply about women and because her life requires frugality she shops at yard sales and is teaching her children the value of thriftiness...and I know that though she would love to support Sseko Designs with her dollars, there are few to share.

I think Connie embodies Sseko...laughter, caring for a world beyond yourself and teaching the next generation what it means to shoulder the burdens and lighten the load together. Her beautiful strength has been an inspiration to many.

Connie, with her daughter Kara. 

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Thanks so much to Karen Sesnon for this submission. 

Chalk it up to clumsiness and a notable lack of patience, but my ties were never up to anyone's standards.  I usually gave up after one sandal. Versus the two you'd need to actually walk around.

It definitely gave Ben and Liz something to laugh about (ok, more like at) this summer, since I was sitting next to tie gurus Allie and Baylee most days. They were coming up with creative new ties faster than they could think what to name them. I could barely get Ssekos to stay on my feet. 

That was June. Fast forward to the beginning of September, and there is literally no way someone like me could be left behind on the tie train. 30 Days/30 Ways has kicked something pretty awesome into high gear. 

Allie's how-to videos were barely up in July before they were being matched by new ones from the Sseko community—and with 30 Ways, even more of those videos are all over YouTube and Vimeo. Sseko's Facebook wall is now chock full of photos of new ties, classic ties, and Ssekos all over the world. 

You might not have even known it was a contest from all that gleeful sharing of new ideas, how-tos, and personal stories. It was more like the thousands-strong Sseko community getting to know each other even better. Women are sharing stories from Colorado to Norway to Dallas. You might have seen a girl halfway across the globe trying your tie one day. You might have learned that a Sseko fan in Thailand had thought of the perfect tie for the wedding you'll be going to in Atlanta. 

And then we all learned that the girls who made these sandals in Uganda just graduated from school, and will be going on to college to pursue their studies. 

This is what happens when you mix a little creative, a lot of good cause, and one really great sandal: the strength of a community that's eager to share ideas and learn from each other. The more the merrier, sure. But the more voices, the stronger, too. It's pretty exciting stuff for the future of Sseko and its employees and fans. 

As for me? 

At the end of the summer, I came up with a new tie.

It's inspired by the community behind Sseko Designs, and what that community can do when it comes together. You'll get to see it next month. And we're looking forward to seeing what happens when everyone tries it out. 

-Éva

Éva Pelczer worked in Social Enterprise Development with Sseko this summer. She's currently a freelance writer living in Portland, OR.