Lets look at Tall, a resident artist living in the slums of Kibera, Nairobi. This means that life is a struggle financially, physically, and mentally, especially compared to the quality of living we have become accustomed to as Americans. However, this does not mean that he does not have a fulfilling life. He is an integral part of the community by offering energy, talent, and endless motivation to those around him. He is actively seeking to break free from reliance on international sources which manage and profit from his work. His goal is to both create and allow that profit and growth to benefit his own community.
Tall’s goal is not unique among the artists of Eastern Africa; these artists seek a sustainable career where they are able to grow both economically and creatively within their home region These individuals are already immensely creative, intelligent, and are seeking their own enterprise. However, while the talent to create is there, the opportunity and knowledge needed to grow into a self sufficient business remains unavailable. This is due to the typical model used here, where the artists are taught to work alone on creating their products, but are excluded from the majority of what the business transaction actually entails.
Nobody Owns Me seeks to provide a window for these artists to learn the full entrepreneurial process available to help them grow their own business. This process includes the initial design, production, quality control, seeking commercial buyers, distribution, and actual retail experience. This process empowers, the artists to independently run a business while using their own ethics and artistic integrity. Nobody Owns Me offers the freedom to be successful through a sustainable business model where both the work and the profit lie solely within the community, as compared to an outside source.
Your purchases are helping make this happen by allowing individual creatives to not only have a better quality of life for themselves but for everyone within their community.
