Bold and Badass: Vava Angwenyi

I first met Vava at the Sankalp Forum in Nairobi, a little over a month ago. We were at one of the sessions, a 'service provider speed dating session', designed to put entrepreneurs together with service providers. I was there as a service provider, and she as an entrepreneur. While we spoke for no more than 5 minutes, I was impressed by her, and wanted to know more. I heard great things about her from others too.

Naturally, I spoke to her about the YWSE (Nairobi) network, and thought that it'd be great to have her as a speaker. Little did I know how soon this was to happen! This past Monday (the 4th of April), was our monthly "How She Does It" YWSE dinner. Despite the rain and awful Nairobi traffic, Vava showed up, and managed to captivate her audience very easily!

Vava Angwenyi, Founder of Vava Coffee

Vava aims to make bold and badass (her own words) decisions in all that she does- a phrase that quickly caught on and proved to be quite inspirational to the rest of us! Vava has been working in the traditionally male-dominated coffee industry for 10 years now, and founded Vava Coffee in 2009, with the aim of providing sustainable livelihoods for coffee farmers. "As Africa, we have become too dependent on aid," she explained. "We don't challenge ourselves."

Kenyan children are expected to follow a certain path- go to school, get a good job, get married, have some kids, and then die. However, Vava knew that this wasn't for her. As someone who's very good at seeing a long term vision, she's never been short sighted, and she's trying to challenge the view that once you go to school and leave, the first job you get will be your dream job.

"Whatever you do, you HAVE to be passionate about it! When you truly believe in something, you have to see it through, and the rest of the pieces will fall into place."
-Vava

After she finished her first degree, she knew that she couldn't go back with just one degree- she was a Kenyan daughter, after all. So, she proceeded to get her masters in International Finance from the Netherlands. Once she finished her thesis, she went home- and was treated like an outcast for a while, due to the high expectations her family had of her. When Vava, who has a background in actuarial science and finance, told her mother that she was going to quit and join the coffee industry, her mother presented her with all the invoices for her school fees, and told her to pay them back, "once she was successful".

It wasn't any easier finding a support system within her friend circle; most of them didn't understand what she was doing, or even why she was doing it. She shared a crucial lesson she learnt along the way: "If you're trying to create change and you're sure of yourself, you've done enough soul searching- it has to be more than the money that drives you." In her own words, what has happened in her life so far has been phenomenal.

In a journey like Vava's, there are bound to be moments where one would want to quit, and it is crucial to find a good support system, be this physical, virtual or both. Her lovely daughter, Timanoi (who attended the dinner too), is a great support system, who from time to time reminds her mother "Mama, you can't give up!"

When you want to quit and don't have support, the right people will stick around. Vava does advise, however, never to share all your problems with others. She also stressed the importance of having a virtual support system, great people whose quotes and stories resonate and help you push forward. For her, two of these people are Steve Jobs and Nat Robinson (author of Creating a Cash Cow in Kenya).

Sometimes, it's hard to realise how something that is happening at the time can actually be for our benefit. While Vava was staying with her mother, she was given 7 days notice to move out and find a place of her own. This pushed her to work harder and do better, and she credits this as being one of the factor that brought her to where she is today. Parents in Kenya have a tendency to shelter their children- Vava mentioned the fact that it's not uncommon to find children of 35 or 40 living with their parents, and unconsciously expecting to be spoonfed. The education system doesn't help with this, as more often than not, children tend to just cram and regurgitate, and expect to be handheld. According to Vava, children from educational systems abroad are all rounders, capable of thinking outside the box, and are more adaptable. The moment you start having real responsibilities in life, you start learning and growing, and for Vava, this experience definitely helped her do both.

Some questions members of the audience had for Vava:

What have been some of the biggest moments you've had that've made you feel like everything has been worth it? 

Honestly, the best moments have been when my farmers are happy. Recognition is good, but money is also important; I have previously said no to awards that have no money. A funny moment that happened recently was when I toasted with my six year old daughter. Me: "Here's to making change and increasing impact." Her: "Here's to making money!" I've created a monster!

(Vava also works with women from Kibera, an informal settlement in Nairobi, who work to make the gift bags for the coffee produced.) 

There have been times when the women in Kibera have prayed for me, have been there for me, have given me encouragement. Most of them are HIV+ and they don't have a lot to give; they really helps me to put my problems in perspective. They're joyful. There's a lot we can learn from these women!

Other moments that count are when my clients are happy, and when emails come in telling me that I inspire people. Funnily enough, theses emails always come in when I need them most. They make me cry and inspire me to get up and get going.

What are some of the challenges women entrepreneurs face? 

Many in this country- especially if you're outspoken! When going to a bank for money, it's not uncommon to be asked questions like "Does your husband know what you're doing?", "Can't he give you money?" or even "Does he approve?".

My advice? Let people think you're crazy. Our society hasn't yet absorbed the strength of a woman!

I entered a traditionally male-dominated industry, and everyone thought I was crazy at first. However, now, the people who used to laugh at me stand up and listen when I have something to say.


Not only is Vava an inspirational entrepreneur, but she's also won many awards for what she's done including the top 12 social enterprises worldwide from the BBC world challenge program! Interested in learning more about Vava? Check out her website and Facebook page! Let's all strive to be bold and badass like Vava, shall we?

Liked this post? Leave a comment on Facebook and let me know, like or retweet the tweet below, and feel free to share with friends and family!

Here's the #boldandbadass Vava of @VavaCoffeeKenya https://t.co/NnH8PbBJcs #socent #entrepreneurship #KOT #Kenya pic.twitter.com/XcLoFG67eJ

— The Kenyan Nomad (@TheKenyanNomad) April 11, 2016

Kipato Unbranded: Bringing Ethical Fashion to Kenya

I remember being at the Sankalp Forum a few weeks ago, when Sonia Iraguha walked into the room. I was awestruck by her earrings, and had to ask where she got them from. That’s when I learnt about Kipato Unbranded…

Some of Kipato Unbranded's pieces

Kipato Unbranded is a social enterprise that works with local artists from informal settlements like Kibera and Dagoretti Market who make jewellery, promoting their skills and allowing them access to markets.

Independent jewellery makers (like Elijah and Ojiko who work with Kipato) in lower-income neighbourhoods like these rely on employers to give them access to larger markets. While the industry thrives on work from artists like these two, their salary is entirely dependent on their employers, and often they only receive a small proportion of the profits their work generates, despite the fact that their pieces are mostly aimed at high-end luxury stores, selling at prices that are often out of reach for many Kenyans.

Out of the need for enterprises that offered fair wages to artists, and to make their work accessible to more Kenyans, Kipato Unbranded was born. It was founded by Marta Krajnik in August 2015. Emphasising on ethical fashion and practices, Kipato Unbranded creates jewellery that is inspired by everyday people for everyday people, and all their pieces are made from local materials, including brass, recycled bone and beads. Their shareholders are a group of five young women from different cultures and backgrounds who are committed to seeing this vision and mission exceed in every possible way by contributing their skills.

Marta Krajnik, The Founder, and one of the artists, Ojiko

Kipato means ‘income’ in Swahili. The name itself conveys the company’s mission to empower its artists: 50% of all profits, whether the pieces are sold locally or internationally, go directly to the artists who create the jewellery. The second word in the name, ‘unbranded’, emphasises the fact that Kipato Unbranded is not trying to be a typical ‘brand’, but rather, is focusing on creating accessible jewellery for ordinary people.

A model wearing Kipato Unbranded

Kipato Unbranded definitely embodies simplicity, accessibility and empowerment. Their collections are versatile- able to be worn at high fashion events as much as they are for low key coffee dates with friends. An environmentally responsible enterprise, Kipato ensures that their products are created from recycled materials, and that their packaging is ecofriendly too.

Alisha Garufi wearing Kipato Unbranded 

I sat down with Marta recently to ask her more about Kipato Unbranded:

What is your favourite Kipato Unbranded piece, and why?

I have many favourites, but from this collection, the Savanna Collection, my favourite is the Clover Necklace. I really like it because it was created when I visited Elijah at Dagoretti Market and we started playing around with brass wires. Most of the products are created collaboratively between the shareholders and the artists, and this one is a prime example of that. I began putting together rings of wires and voila! It actually comes as a set, so the necklace and earrings were created that same very day. I love this set because it is super simple, but also very elegant. It looks especially remarkable when worn with an evening dress, and the shape is symbolic – giving you that extra luck you may need that particular night out. :)

What is the best compliment you’ve received about Kipato Unbranded’s pieces?

The best compliment is when customers return to get more jewellery! We had done some custom-made brass belts for a couple of journalists for CNN for The African Journalism Awards back in October 2015. The ladies really rocked them, and we made the red carpet! 

What sorts of events does Kipato Unbranded host in & around Nairobi, and are there any coming up?

Kipato Unbranded hosts pop-up events; we had one Christmas Rooftop special in December 2015, and we recently have partnered up with Marula Mercantile in Karen to do a monthly Boozy Brunch Pop-Up that has gone extremely well! We catered for the live music of the event and also got other exhibitors to come and showcase their artwork and products, such as ProkraftAfrica, Love Tess, Linda’s Nut Butters and Masungula Krafts.

Why do you think there has been more of a shift toward ethical fashion in recent times?

I think more and more people want to know where their products are coming from and want to promote fair trade. Large retailers are getting a lot of criticism for subjecting their workers to dangerous working conditions, such as some of the textile producers in Bangladesh. The more this is published in the media, the more people are aware of unfair conditions and want to ensure they are investing their earnings into a product that gives a fair wage to its maker. 

If you could choose to dress any celebrity in pieces from Kipato Unbranded, who would it be and why, and which pieces would you want them to wear?

Hmm not sure, but I love Jess Glyne the singer! Her style and jewelry pieces, (she wears a lot of brass) were definitely the inspiration behind the midi-rings….we have thick and thin ones….she loves to wear them and mix them up with other metals such as aluminum and copper. We have the plain brass ones and I love how they look! You can stack them any which way and dress your fingers up to your hearts’ desire. 

If you could go back and give yourself some advice as you were starting out, what would it be?  

I think I would definitely have done more strategic planning; I am very much an action-oriented person so my instinct is to do something and then learn from it – trial and error. However, some more analytical thinking is required to ensure your business is a success and I think we can do a lot more of that, especially at this stage when we are growing so fast. 

Where does one go in Nairobi if they want to buy jewellery from Kipato Unbranded offline?

We are now available in various outlets – we have our products at The Arbor off of James Gichuru in Lavington, in Marula Studios in Karen, and also opening in Wasp and Sprout in Loresho. We have two outlets in Mombasa, as well as one in Nakuru. We are also on Jumia and Rupu. 

Where do you hope Kipato Unbranded will be in five years?

I'd love to employ more artists and design new creations! I would also like Kipato Unbranded to become a household name and eventually partner with a clothing line to complement our jewelry. We are constantly improving our ways of working and interacting with our customers, so we hope to launch a solely Kenyan website soon- I’m really looking forward to that. All in all, success in 5 years and even more success in 10 years! 

Interested in learning more about Kipato Unbranded, and buying some of their gorgeous jewellery? Check out their website and Facebook page!

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