Female African Entrepreneurs a Source of Economic Growth
After having read Josh Kron’s article on female entrepreneurship in Africa, I was shocked to discover that female African entrepreneurs are proving to do the seemingly impossible. Not only are they outperforming the men in regards to economic contributions, they are also transforming the world’s prejudice of a country that is supposedly stuck in the hopeless depths of poverty, illness and misfortune. One entrepreneur named Bethlehem Tilahun was motivated by her contempt for the media’s tendencies to pity the Africans and disregard the whole new realm of opportunities currently being pursued in her country. She transformed her local, homemade, eco-friendly shoe shop, “SoleRebels” into a multi-million dollar enterprise that is now recognized and advertised in countries all over the world.
Bethlehem Tilahun, creator of “SoleRebels”
It is women like Bethlehem that are transforming the image of Africa from a country that consumers are willing to fund into one that consumers are willing to buy. After having completed the class preparation for our class on social entrepreneurship, it is clear to me that social entrepreneurs like Ms. Tilahun see opportunities and potential where others see tragic failures, and they take initiative to pursue these opportunities, despite the potential risks or consequences. This is a daunting endeavour that I find extremely impressive. And although they are daunting, it is acts like these that are the source of a country’s potential to, according to the article, “have the fastest-growing economy of any continent over the next five years.”
Sources:
http://www.gatewaytoafrica.com/profiles/entrepreneurs-sole-rebels.htm