From Scraps to Sandals: Empowering Ethiopian Women Through Shoemaking

May 26, 2023

Tigist Seife Haile is the founder of Take ET Trading PLC, an enterprise that produces leather products using locally sourced materials in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia under the brand name Root in Style. Founded in 2015, the company produces handbags, messenger bags, backpacks, wallets, belts, home accessories, and jewelry, among other products. In 2021, Tigist was selected as a finalist for the State Department’s Academy for Women Entrepreneurs program and awarded a US$10K USADF grant to expand her business. 

With the USADF funding, Take ET Trading set up a training and shoe production workshop, purchased equipment such as stitching machines, cutting tables, and shoe-making tools, purchased raw materials for making shoes, and invested in branding and marketing, including updates to the brand’s website. Notably, Tigist also sought to introduce a new product in her business: sandals produced from the leather waste produced in its workshop and collected from other leather goods-producing companies in Addis Ababa. 

In one year, the ET Trading team succeeded in training 15 women (ten (10) existing staff and five (5) new community members) in professional shoemaking and then subsequently hired the new trainees to work in their workshop. By employing women, ET Trading empowered them with a steady income to support themselves and their families. In addition, they succeeded in creating branding and promotional materials for their new sandal product line, Charm of Scraps, and introduced their new shoe line at an exhibition. This undertaking increased the company’s production capacity by over 15% and sales revenue by more than 25%. Additionally, the production of their new sandals enabled them to recycle their leather scraps, reducing their environmental waste by at least 80%. 

Thanks to USADF funding, Take ET Trading has delivered outstanding outcomes. Take ET Trading has skillfully produced cost-effective recycled leather shoes locally and internationally while simultaneously reducing waste and empowering women leather workers. Furthermore, Tigist consistently explores novel and innovative methods to expand her business and establish it as the foremost Ethiopian leather product brand globally.