Whether you’ve been part of our journey for a while, or you’ve only recently discovered Grass-Fields, you’ve probably seen that most of our clothes are made in Africa. We post about this often on social media, and we love to highlight it on our product listings. Having our garments made in Africa is something we’re extremely proud of, and I wanted to share with you just why it’s so important to us!
A Better Way
Growing up poor ourselves, Michele and I know all too well the challenges faced by people without opportunities. We really wanted to find a way of creating opportunities for both our home country of Cameroon and the African continent as a whole.
Not knowing when your next meal will be is a struggle that so many families like ours face. A severe lack of employment opportunities limits the family in ways most people can’t imagine. We always felt that there had to be a better way of doing things, a way to raise people out of these situations. We came up with our own ‘better way’, and that was to create jobs in places where people need them the most.
Providing Hope
A job can transform a household by providing hope; something that my sister and I had little of whilst growing up. It can also provide a means to education, granting further opportunities still to the next generation. We saw this first-hand through our mum, whose generosity opened up opportunities for neighbouring families.
Our mum held an office job but was rarely paid regularly, sometimes going months at a time without receiving her wages. To put food on the table, she started a side-business selling fruits and other groceries. Despite the venture being a humble one, it helped 5 other women (who she employed at the peak of business) to put their children through school. One of those children is now a lawyer!
Through our mum’s experiences, we grew to understand the importance of job-creation. Giving one person an opportunity has a knock-on effect, and grants the power to open doors for those around them.
Our Vision
Here at Grass-Fields, our aim is to create 1,000,000 jobs through the fashion industry. Currently, there are around 2000 people directly involved in our manufacturing process, and we are seeing the incredible impact that these opportunities are having on people’s lives.
We understand that our goal is an ambitious one, but we are confident that it’s possible to achieve. Through this, we can change a whole generation.
