Los Angeles based ACI International announced the launch of their newest brand, Buyamba Soles; a line of footwear and accessories adorned with hand crafted beads from Uganda. This March, Buyamba Soles sandals for women will be available for purchase online at Target.com and will be arriving in Target stores nationwide this April. The socially conscious Buyamba Soles brand was developed by ACI in an effort to help displaced women and children in Uganda.
“This is more than a feel good product” explained ACI's President, Craig Hardy, “from this brand's inception, we were striving to make a sustainable difference in Uganda – a country devastated by HIV/AIDS and the after-effects of war.” To date, more than 200 women have been trained and employed to create the colorful hand-rolled beads, made from old magazines and discarded paper. Now earning a fair wage, these women, many widowed and raising children alone, are able to support their families and help their community. In addition, thanks to their collaboration with Target, ACI will be donating $100K to Buyamba Uganda, a non-profit organization dedicated to feeding and educating Uganda's children through the building of schools and through child sponsorships.
“Buyamba” in the local Lugandan language means “help”. With that in mind, Hardy explained “The vision behind Buyamba Soles was two-fold. The first priority was to start a business to create jobs for the women in the village on the front end. Second was to support the children by donating a portion of all proceeds towards their education.” Future products from the Buyamba Soles brand will include and expanded line of shoes for men, women and children as well as fashion forward handbags and accessories; each sporting original embellishments produced by hand in Uganda. To learn more about this new brand, visit Buyambasoles.com.
