The
box was rather interesting; it looked like a beige paper-wrapped package that
arrived from Kenya, with embossed fake postage, stamped, Nairobi. The sender’s
address in the upper left hand corner was the information that it contained a
pair of sandals shipped from Kenya via Spain. A brown map of the world showed
the red route that the “authentic Maasai design” sandals had traveled to make
it into this beige box.
Touting
that “another world is possible,” these intricate sandals were “ornamented in
Kenya” and made in Spain. The box also told me that each sandal was
“embroidered by a Maasai woman from Kenya in the shade of an acacia tree.”
“Each
bead, which reflects the essence Maasai culture tradition and craft skills, has
been placed with the spirit of hope and enthusiasm for a prosperous, sustainable future. Thank you for
supporting this initiative.” Didn’t Native Americans use beading as well?
I
became intrigued when I saw the word “sustainable.” The price seemed rather
steep, $200, but they were very comfortable and flexible. I ordered a pair in
my favorite design color, teal, and waited.
When
my box arrived, I opened the package with anticipation and was instantly disappointed
when the content revealed a different pair with the exquisite beaded design of
the American flag. I love and respect our flag. I believe that it is
sacrilegious to wear the flag on your feet. The flag is made to be flown and
draped over the caskets of heroes, not to be used as a door mat, bathing suit, swim
trunks, or shoe ornaments.
But
I found a glossy inside talking about the story of this brand. This was no
ordinary shoe. It was a project developed by the non-governmental organization
(NGO) called ADCAM (Association for Development, Alternative Trade and
Microcredit) which “specializes in empowering women in developing countries and
focuses on establishing stable trade channels with developed nations.”
I
was getting warm and fuzzy when the brochure said that when we, the often
maligned and “greedy” capitalists, buy these expensive shoes, we are supporting
the NGOs vision of “Corporate Social Responsibility,” collaborating with
communities that need corporate social responsibility most, and we are
pioneering the NGOs quest for developing fair trade.
Here
I was, supporting the initiative of integrating United Nation’s desire of
Sustainability with comfortable shoes and fashionable bags. Bingo! The Maasai
preserved their traditions and lifestyles and I got the light and color of
Africa for $200. How clever!
The
brochure said, “The Maasai tribe is one of the most threatened on the planet
according to the UN” and the international sales revenue from the shoes and
bags “pays fair wages to support 1,600 families with stable source of income
that allows them to obtain basic needs items such as food and medicines.”
If
the 1,600 women received income from just nine pairs of sandals, it is $1,800,
exceeding Kenya’s per capita income of $1,700 a year. According to the
International Monetary Fund, Kenya is at number 154 out of 183 countries in per
capita income. By now, if the shoes sold well, the Maasai families in the
project and their tribe should be quite well off. They kept accounting and
orders straight even though they do not have computers or technological
literacy.
There
is even an Ambassador of the Maasai Project for the 2013 collection, who
apparently visited the women in Kenya and Tanzania who make the beading by
hand. “The women shared with Olivia, their hopes and dreams for taking this
project forward in a sustainable way and
for making the beautiful sandals and bags available throughout the world.”
I
am not sure how the project is moved forward in a sustainable way, but I
wondered how much these women were paid in fair wages, what is their definition
of a fair wage, and why is the Maasai tribe the most endangered in the world.
According
to one site, eco-tourism prompted big government to create parks and reserves
without the input and consent of the indigenous people.
http://www.umich.edu/~snre492/Jones/maasai.htm
The
Maasai and other pastoral groups squeezed off their lands created their own
NGOs in order to go to court to defend their land rights. Isn’t the government
ultimately responsible for the social welfare of their people? Why do United
Nations and NGOs step in to demand social responsibility from corporations and
citizens of other countries?
The
dilemma is that part of me applauds the idea of helping employ women in dire
living conditions and poverty, but part of me is repulsed by the “sustainable
eco-chic” label, the NGOs demanding social responsibility, the United Nations
forcing Agenda 21 policies on developed countries, and, most of all, by the blatant
disrespect for the American flag.
How
much of the profit is actually shared with the Maasai women who do such tedious
and labor intensive bead work? One magazine claims that “all profits from the
sales of the Maasai Project are put towards the creation and further
development of these community projects that support the Maasai Mara National
Reserve in both Kenya and Tanzania.”
http://myculturemagazine.com/pikolinos-these-shoes-arent-just-made-for-walking/
Ultimately,
I venture to say, the women’s lives in Kenya will probably be less enriched than
the coffers of the NGO and the Spanish brand that sells the sandals
world-wide.
It
is glitz, glamor, and greed, carefully packaged in the brochure with
tug-at-your-heart strings propaganda. A quote from Wangari Maathai, the first
African woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004, appears at the end of the
glossy. “Until you dig a hole, you plant a tree, you water it and make it
survive, you haven’t done a thing. You are just talking.” What does this have
to do with selling expensive sandals? Regretfully, I returned the shoes.