Dear Friends of Akala:

Contents of the Korogocho Times, February edition

EMPLOYMENT CREATION IN KOROGOCHO: ONE YEAR UPDATE
APOLOGIES TO CUSTOMERS FOR LONG DELAYS: YOUR SANDALS ARE COMING
WAP AND ECOSANDALS PROFILED IN LEADING ONLINE MAGAZINE
ECOSANDALS FEATURED AT WORLD BANK/UN CONFERENCE
SANDAL-MAKERS HAVE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TRAINING
EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT SIGNED
ENVIRO LINE OF LEATHERLESS SANDALS EXPECTED IN MAY
WAP BRINGS IN TWO NEW TEAM MEMBERS
SANDAL-MAKERS THRILLED WITH NEW YEAR'S GIRAFFE-CHASING
SEEKING YOUR CRITICAL FEEDBACK

WE ESTIMATE IT WILL TAKE YOU APPROXIMATELY SEVEN MINUTES TO READ THIS
NEWSLETTER. If you have more time and would prefer the Swahili or
Sheng edition, please contact us at [email protected] .

The Korogocho Times is an editorial production of the educational unit
of the Wikyo Akala Project in the Korogocho shantytown. This newsletter

comes to you bi-monthly. For more information, please see www.ecosandals.

com . If you know of others who would like to receive The
Korogocho Times have them write [email protected]
(subject:subscribe) .

The Korogocho Times is wholly supported by sandal sales across the
globe and generous donations from individuals just like you. The Wikyo
Akala Project is a community-owned effort striving to bring a few
glimmers of hope to a community fractured by illiteracy, malnutrition,
joblessness, and crime. Your support is greatly appreciated. We welcome
visitors, whether buyers, volunteers, or curious onlookers, so please do
contact us.

EMPLOYMENT CREATION IN KOROGOCHO: ONE YEAR UPDATE
On January 1, 2001, the Wikyo Akala Project was an operation that
employed six Korogocho young adults part time as sandal-makers as it
struggled simply to survive. One year later, on January 1, 2002, the
Wikyo Akala Project provides a steady income to its 27 sandal-makers
working out of the Korogocho shantytown. The biggest difference has
been you. A website and worldwide media attention has led to
skyrocketing sales. We have had some bumps in the road over the past
year but simply want to send a vote of thanks to all of you. You are
giving us a means to work hard and send our children to school. Thank
you.

APOLOGIES TO CUSTOMERS FOR LONG DELAYS: YOUR SANDALS ARE COMING
Due to the dramatic increase in orders, we have struggled to keep pace.
Perhaps you waited months for your order when we told you it would only
be weeks. Maybe you are still waiting. We cannot apologize enough to
you and thank you enough for your patience. We anticipate our backlog
will be cleared by February 15, and you will have your sandals soon. We
have made adjustments in our production procedures to assure this never
happens again. We are extremely sorry.

WAP AND ECOSANDALS PROFILED IN LEADING ONLINE MAGAZINE
Grist Magazine, a leading environmental online magazine, profiled the
work of the Wikyo Akala Project and Ecosandals.com . The five articles
provide a unique look into the objectives of the project and the daily
work of project co-founder Matthew Meyer. As a result of the articles,
Ecosandals.com registered 16,780 hits on January 18 from every continent
on the planet (except Antarctica), the most since the project appeared
on CNN in late August of last year. You can read the articles "I
believe in a town called 'hopeless'" at
http://www.gristmagazine.com/grist/week/meyer011402.asp .

ECOSANDALS FEATURED AT WORLD BANK/UN CONFERENCE
The state-of-the-art development work of the Wikyo Akala Project of
Korogocho was profiled in a leading e-trade workshop held in Nairobi
late last year. On November 29 and 30, the United Nations Communication
on Trade And Development (UNCTAD) and World Trade Organization (WTO)
hosted Project Administrator Siebisa Oyalo on how the Ecosandals.com
electronic commerce enterprise is alleviating poverty through job
creation and educational training in the Korogocho slums. The meeting,
dubbed E-Trade Bridge Kenya, expressed exhilaration at the tremendous
success of the Korogocho sandal project.

SANDAL-MAKERS HAVE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TRAINING
Canadian-based small business advisor, Mercy Mureithi, along with
Kenyan-based Francis Njoga, led a wonderful training for sandal-makers
January 5 to 9 at our Korogocho workshop. Twenty sandal-maker
participants learned to think outside the box and to work with others to
develop strategies for creative thinking and long-term business growth.
Mercy initially met the project as a customer last May. She was so
satisfied she invited two sandal-makers to business training last August
with Open For Business in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Earlier this month, she
brought the business training to Korogocho. Thanks, Mercy!

EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT SIGNED
The Kedeco Foundation, based in London, and the Wikyo Akala Project
reached agreement last month to bring sandals directly to the doorstep
of customers throughout Europe. For all our European friends, please
continue making your purchases at Ecosandals.com. Over the next few
months, however, we will be encouraging you to purchase through Kedeco.
What this means for our European customers is lower shipping costs and
faster service. Stay tuned.

ENVIRO LINE OF LEATHERLESS SANDALS EXPECTED IN MAY
Currently all Wikyo Akala Project sandals are made with leather. By May
we will release our new Enviro line which will include vegan sandals
made without the use of any animal products. A purchase of those
sandals will promote lives in Korogocho and preserve the precious lives
of the free-roaming wildlife that we all once were.

WAP BRINGS IN TWO NEW TEAM MEMBERS
The Wikyo Akala Project begins the new year with a new director and
assistant director. James Mwangi and Becky Wachera come to the project
with an impressive list of community and business experiences. "This is
a neat opportunity to market sandals globally for the absolute and total
benefit of the Korogocho community," Ms. Wachera said. "Our one goal
right now," Mr. Mwangi added, "is to produce and sell the highest
quality tire sandals efficiently and to our customers' satisfaction."

SANDAL-MAKERS THRILLED WITH NEW YEAR'S GIRAFFE-CHASING
On Saturday, January 5, sandal-makers and volunteers were treated to a
new year's party at a wide open plain outside Nairobi. Sandal-makers
feasted on the traditional nyama choma-ugali-kachumbari treat and even
chased some wild giraffe and wildebeest that roamed nearby. The land
was made available very generously by Calvin Kangara of the Mathare
Resource Centre.

SEEKING YOUR CRITICAL FEEDBACK AND...
The research and Development Team of the Wikyo Akala Project is
constantly working on improving the sandal, using new materials, making
it both more durable and comfortable. If you have purchased a pair of
sandals and have any complimentary or critical comments to make, we
would love to hear about it at [email protected]

.SEEKING EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE AND LAPTOPS/DESKTOPS AND...
In our April newsletters last year, we did inform you that we were
expanding our computer class. Since the inception of ladies and more
young men into the project, the trainees on the project have increased
and this means that the four laptops/desktop and learning material
cannot adequately be enough for them. We'd like your kind donations in
any kind of stationery, software and any educative material for our
computer class. Please contact us if you would be willing to make any
donations - [email protected]

.THANK YOU
We are all very proud of being part of us through this year. We are
happy to let you know that you have been an inspiration in all the ideas
and words of encouragement you have shared with us. To us the months of
December and January were joyous, exciting, and very busy, full of the
happiness you have given and shared with us through out the year. We do
hope that you will continue with this spirit to help us see a better
life amongst us and our families here in Korogocho. Our passionate
appeal is that let many of your friends put on our akala sandals.

We know many people press delete before making it down here. Thanks for
reading all the way through (or just fast forwarding to the bottom)!

HAPPY AND PEACEFUL NEW YEAR 2002.

Akala Editorial Board

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Ecosandals.com
Making sandals, enriching lives
Kutengeneza akala, kuinua maisha
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