P R E S S PA C K E T Spring 2015
AKOLA PROJECT U G A N D A /D A L L A S
Akola Project is a non-profit with a mission-driven jewelry business that empowers women in extreme poverty to become agents of transformation in their families and communities.
100% of Akola’s earned income from product sales are reinvested in the social mission to train, employ and educate women who lack economic opportunity, empowering them to break generational cycles of poverty.
TH E I M PA C T O F A KOL A F O R T H E N E X T G E N E R AT ION
400+ WOMEN ARE ECONOMICALLY EMPOWERED - Ak o l a p r o v i d e s a d e p en d a b le jo b a n d mo n t hly inc ome -
3,000+
CHILDREN IN
10
COMMUNITIES ARE UPLIFTED
- Akola wo m e n u se t h e ir in c o me to mee t th e n e e d s of 9+ de pe nda nts -
14
PROGRAMS +
3 ACADEMY CENTERS + 23 WELLS
- Akola f u n d s p r o g r a m s a n d d e v e l o p m e n t p r o j e c t s throughout Uganda-
S TO RY The Akola journey began with a 10-minute meeting that changed the life of Akola’s founder. In 2004, Brittany Underwood was moved to compassion as a sophomore in college after meeting a Ugandan woman named Sarah who cared for 24 street children in her home. Compassion escalated to action and Brittany founded a non-profit to construct an orphanage to house the children who slept on Sarah’s floor. In 2006, upon graduating college, Brittany moved to Uganda to begin the construction of the orphanage and the drilling of over 20 water wells throughout the country. As her team traveled to different villages, they were amazed by women who cared for 10+ children in their homes. Like Sarah, they had a hope and vision for their families; they simply did not have the income or confidence to embrace their calling. Brittany realized that by training, employing, and guaranteeing women a monthly income her team could care for thousands of children. In 2007, Brittany launched a new model to uplift women and children. The women named it “Akola”, which means “to work” in their local dialect. In 2010, she moved from Uganda to the US to get her Master ’s degree. After 5 years in the field, she worked with the best development practitioners in the country to develop a sustainable impact model for women. The work paid off; over the last 8 years, Akola Project has blossomed into a thriving social business that has impacted 4,000 women and children in extreme poverty. Thanks to incredible efforts of Akola’s young, passionate, and ambitious team in Uganda and the US, Akola has grown its impact significantly to employ over 430 women living in extreme poverty. In 2014, Akola expanded its model to offer an economic alternative to victims of sex trafficking in Dallas. Akola jewelry has retailed in over 350 stores nationwide and recently launched through Dillard’s Department Stores, Stanley Korshak, and TOMS. The Akola model has become a platform to encourage budding social entrepreneurs to deliver the highest level of social impact within the social buisiness space. The hope of Akola is to encourage new thinking about international development and to inspire the next generation of social innovators. Thank you for joining us on this journey. Love, The Akola Team
FOUNDER & PRESIDENT B R I T TA N Y M E R R I L L U N D E RW O O D Brittany was named the ‘Best Person in the World’ by Yahoo and was honored by clothing manufacturer Levi as one of 50 women around the globe who have changed the political, cultural and spiritual shape of the future. She has been awarded the Emerging Leader Award from SMU and has received the Young Leader Award from Dallas Women’s Foundation. In 2015, Brittany was honored with the ‘My Michele Moment’ award from Michele Watches and was featured as a leading entrepreneur in the Spanx ‘Leg Up’ campaign. Brittany is a part of the elite mentoring class for the Laura and George Bush Women’s Initiative.
Brittany joined the adjunct faculty of Southern Methodist University in 2015 where she teaches a new course in Social Innovation while contuing to devote herself to improving the lives of women and children as the Founder and President of Akola Project.
Brittany’s vision for Akola is to create a global brand that trains, empowers, and employs marginalized women around the world.
M O V E D B Y C O M PA S S I O N : B R I T TA N Y M E R R I L L U N D E R W O O D
AKOLA PRODUCT F E AT U R E D I N P E O P L E S T Y L E WAT C H
In March, People Style Watch featured Akola’s Zodian necklace as a Shop & Do Good product. 100% of proceeds from this necklace, and all Akola products, are reinvested in the social mission to empower marginalized women to become agents of transformation in their families and communities.
March 2015
Akola’s Zodian necklace is assembled by one of over 400 Ako la-trained women living in extreme poverty in rural Uganda.
A K O L A P R O J E C T. O R G / S H O P
LEG UP WINNER B R I T TA N Y U N D E RW O O D o f A K O L A “Everybody needs a leg up in the beginning of starting a business. My big break came when Oprah named SPANX a Favorite Thing. We at Spanx want to pay it forward and give other amazing women entrepreneurs their leg up!�
Sara Blakely
“More than employing women, @akolaproject is empowering them to be the change in their communities.� Sara Blakely
w w w. s p a n x . c o m / l e g - u p - w i n n e r s
ACKNOWLEDGED AS YA H O O ! B E S T P E R S O N I N T H E W O R L D November of 2014, YAHOO! News came to Dallas to award and interview Brittany Underwood, acknowledging her efforts and the growth of Akola Uganda/ Dallas. The short film is viewable online.
“[The jewelry] are symbols of hope and transformation.”
Brittany Underwood Founder of Akola Project
w w w. n e w s . y a h o o . c o m / b l o g s / b e s t - p e r s o n - i n - t h e - w o r l d
A K O L A’ S S T O R Y F E AT U R E D O N T H E K AT I E S H O W In 2014, Brittany Underwood filmed a live interview on the Katie Couric Show to share the story of Akola’s holistic approach to development in Uganda. During the interview, Brittany shared the vision of empowering women in Dallas, TX, which has now become a reality!
“She has recently taken on the task of helping women in D allas who are in need of job training.� Katie Couric
I N T E R V I E W V I E WA B L E O N V I M E O
F E AT U R E D CNN ‘YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ROCK’ C N N I N T E R N AT I O N A L C N N ‘ I N S I D E A F R I C A’
Early international acknowledgement of during the foundational beginnings of UAPO, which became and is today the Akola Project.
FROM UAPO to AKOLA PROJECT
AKOLA IN THE MEDIA MEDIA MENTIONS
“Empowers Ugandan women by teaching them marketable skills and offering economic support.”
“The impact of Akola is so far-reaching. It’s more than employing women, it’s empowering them to overcome the odds and transform their lives and their communities. Many of these women invest their earning into starting a business, and the effects are endless” Sarah Blakeley, Founder of Spanx
“Women who work with Akola can earn an average of four times the local wage, according to the Project. And this income can stretch far, Underwood says, to not only support the women and their own children, but for some, it can change the lives of generations to come.”
“This 10-year odyssey has changed her life and the lives of countless others... what I think is wonderful is that a lot of women … because they’ve seen this model … are actually creating other businesses. I’m very inspired by everything you’re doing.”
“Dallas’ coolest non-profit jewelry shop in Deep Ellum.”
“The Akola Project is giving opportunity to Ugandan women like I’ve never heard or seen before.” “A woman that not only inspires, but a woman who is changing the course of impact for social businesses and citizens around the world. Brittany has done a job well done for humanity.”
“Operating as a non-profit and a social business, the Akola Project has empowered women through vocational training, employment opportunities, educational programs, and has given them the means to earn and save money.”
“The organization’s success may be traceable to its faith-based approach. The group stresses its Christian principles and sees the relations that it develops between Ugandans and Americans as the most valuable part of the work. Members also strive to grow beyond the ‘handout’ mentality, and aim to create ‘self-sustaining’ improvements.”
“The women in Uganda and the women in Dallas are an incredible roster, they all are so accomplished... I love that you can get some really unique pieces and give back [to them] at the same time.”
AKOLA in THE MEDIA
AKOLA DEVELOPMENT MODEL P U B L I S H E D I N M C G R AW H I L L T E X T B O O K Our innovative development model, beginning with community development and ending with long-term sustainability, has been acknowledged by scholars, educators, universities, and has even been featured in a McGraw Hill textbook.
During the Spring of 2015, Brittany Underwood joined the faculty of Southern Methodist Universty and is using the model as the foundation of her teaching and curriculum.
AKOLA MODEL A HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT APPROACH
I.
COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE
I V. D E P E N D A B L E E M P L O Y M E N T
I I . V O C AT I O N A L T R A I N I N G
V.
HOLISTIC PROGRAMS
I I I . H I G H - FA S H I O N P R O D U C T S
V I . L A S T I N G S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
“Those five years taught me that it is not enough to funnel money and resources into a community if you are not also equipping that community with the necessary skills to tackle the crippling issues they face every day. I realized that money alone could not make poverty and other problems disappear; but empowerment through training and employment was a start.” Brittany Underwood, Akola President and Founder
A K O L A M O D E L p u b l i s h e d i n M C G R AW H I L L T E X T B O O K
I M PA C T T O D AT E AKOLA UGANDA / DALLAS In 2015, Akola began the construction of our third Akola Academy Center for Women that houses the vocational training, educational seminars, and employment opportunities for women in rural poverty.
2 3 WAT E R W E L L S
2 V O C AT I O N A L T R A I N I N G C E N T E R S
441 WOMEN EARNING DEPENDABLE M O N T H LY I N C O M E
I M P A C T T O D AT E o f A K O L A
63 WOMEN LAUNCHED LOCAL BUSINESSES
3 5 0 R E TA I L B O U T I Q U E S & D E PA RT M E N T S T O R E S
37,745 AKOLA UNITS SOLD T O D AT E
I M P A C T T O D AT E o f A K O L A
A K O L A A C A D E M Y o f B U WA L A , U G A N D A
MEDIA MENTIONS AKOLA MODEL & PRODUCT
AKOLA COLLECTIONS No. 1 HORN This collection includes ethically-restored Ankole cow horn that is hand-crafted into earrings, bracelets, and necklaces. Ankole horn jewelry is assembed at Akola Academy by women trained by Akola Project. Product revenues provide vocational training and dependable employment for 441 women in Uganda and Dallas.
AKOLA COLLECTIONS : HORN
A K O L A P R O J E C T. O R G
AKOLA COLLECTIONS N o . 2 PA P E R B E A D S Meticulously hand-rolled paper beads are made and assembled by over 400 women who are trained and employed by Akola Project. Paper beads are available in 13 on-trend colorways each season. The collection includes necklaces and bracelets, whose profits go towards providing the basic needs for Akola-trained women and their families. Through a dependable monthly salary, Akola women can afford school fees, healthcare, and food for over 3,000 children in 9 impoverished communities.
A K O L A C O L L E C T I O N S : PA P E R B E A D S
A K O L A P R O J E C T. O R G
AKOLA COLLECTIONS N o . 3 M E TA L S Hand-cast metal beads are sourced and paired with glass and semi-precious stones. The collection is assembled by Akola-trained and employed women and fully supports the sustainable transformation of women in poverty.
C O L L E C T I O N S : M E TA L S
A K O L A P R O J E C T. O R G
P L E A S E C O N T A C T J E N N Y C AVA I O L I F O R
PR E SS I N Q U IRIES & SPEA K IN G E NGAGE M E NT jenny@ellecomm.com