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“I’m Running a Marathon in My Sseko Sandals”

When we found out that Sseko Fellow Pam Cooke is training for a marathon in her Sseko sandals, we could hardly believe it! Disclaimer: our sandals aren’t made with the intention of being running shoes, but Pam is taking her #ssekostyle to the next level! Check out what she’s doing… What do Sseko Designs and long-distance running have in common? Answer: Me! About a month ago, I was visiting with a long-time family friend who was home visiting her parents. Joy recently moved to Portland and was working at Sseko Designs headquarters. In the midst of the ordinary [...]

By |2022-04-26T21:41:25+00:00April 26th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Sseko: Verified Member of the Fair Trade Federation

Big news in the world of Sseko Designs: We are an official member of the Fair Trade Federation! “Wait, I thought Sseko already manufactured with fair trade practices? What’s changed?” Since the day Sseko began with just three women making shoes under a mango tree in Uganda, we have been committed to building a business that creates dignity and opportunity for every person involved. Our factory is a beautiful and safe place for employees, every partner we work with is carefully evaluated, and every artisan fairly compensated. If you’ve been paying attention to Sseko in the past few years, [...]

By |2022-04-26T21:24:54+00:00April 26th, 2022|How It's Made, Impact, Sustainability, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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2022 Match Day – Veteran Team Updates from Uganda

When we started Sseko, a goal of ours was that “these women will not make sandals forever.” While that applied to the University-bound women at Sseko who would continue on to college and create change in their communities, we knew (and hoped!) that might also apply to our production team members who would continue to pursue new dreams.  We’ve had the very bittersweet opportunity to “send off” several members of our Sseko community who have been with us for many years. Each one of them has contributed to our team and culture in beautiful ways. It’s hard [...]

By |2022-03-10T16:59:17+00:00March 8th, 2022|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Meet Sseko’s Supporting Staff!

While we were visiting our incredible team in Uganda, we were able to spend more time with other staff members who work behind the scenes to manifest the mission of Sseko! We are super excited to introduce you to our Supporting Staff through this blog post! Geoffrey Role at Sseko UG: Production Manager Employed Since: October 2018 What do you love most about working at Sseko? I love leading a team of brilliant women and getting to the source of providing for families in our community. I get a lot of satisfaction in my work knowing [...]

By |2019-04-30T19:57:04+00:00April 30th, 2019|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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4 PIECES = 20 OUTFITS in SPRING

4 PIECES = 20 OUTFITS Liz, Co-Founder & CEO, shows off her favorite looks. Style Tip #1 Business Casual: Hopping out of a meeting or hopping into the weekend, the reversible qualities of the Wonder Collection have your back. Paired with trousers or jeans, you’re ready for any time of day with this stunning Reversible Blazer and Blouse. Shop the Look Style Tip #2: The Perfect Summer Slides:  Our Crossover Slides in this rich golden Caramel tone are your new ultimate go-to sandals this summer and looks great with jeans, skirts and everything in between. [...]

By |2019-04-23T04:49:28+00:00April 22nd, 2019|Sseko Style, Sseko Tips|0 Comments
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Unexpected Answer to a Lifelong Dream: Brittany’s Story

My name is Brittany Ferris. I'm 31 years old, a cat mom, and happily married to my husband Devon. When I was a child. I knew exactly what I wanted to be when I grew up: I wanted to be a mom and I wanted to be a missionary to Africa. Unfortunately, as life often goes, neither of those dreams ever came to fruition. Though I never went to Africa, it always held a special place in my heart. After I got married, my husband and I tried to start a biological family for 8 years. About 2 [...]

By |2019-03-01T06:06:46+00:00March 1st, 2019|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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Interview with Sarah Dubbeldam, Founder of Darling Magazine

Sarah Dubbeldam is a total boss. As the founder of Darling Magazine, she’s put her desire to see women uplifted into action and is making real waves of impact in the world. We were thrilled to have her model The Wonder Collection for Sseko and are excited to interview her today! You wear a lot of different hats! When someone asks what you do, how do you respond? As the founder of Darling, it’s my job to make sure that our mission to uplift women in their self-esteem and mental wellness flows seamlessly through all channels [...]

By |2019-04-22T18:28:55+00:00February 28th, 2019|Women of Sseko|0 Comments
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Natasha: Lifelong Entrepreneur

When I was a little girl, I loved creating beaded jewelry. I would craft for hours with my little bead kit. Any time I got allowance money, I invested it in more beads. My parents always taught me that if you wanted something, you had to work for it. Although they provided a comfortable life for me, I was not just given everything I wanted. So I would take my little creations and lay them out on a card table in front of my mom’s apartment building with a caboodle full of coins I dug out of the [...]

By |2019-02-19T22:22:49+00:00February 19th, 2019|Sseko Fellows, Women of Sseko|0 Comments
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Sierra’s Sseko Story

Long, long ago, way back when the Fellows Program wasn't supposed to be a real thing, I found it, and made it my thing. I was in Jim Thorpe, PA with my Husband for my birthday weekend getting ready to hike our favorite place, Glen Onoko falls, and saw that there was a small festival going on around the train tracks. I immediately plastered myself to the window shouting "Look, a Fair! It's Jim Thorpe's Birthday too! Let's stop!" This might be a major indicator as to why the first brave piece I was ever gifted was Whimsy, but [...]

By |2019-02-07T19:48:20+00:00February 7th, 2019|Sseko Fellows, Women of Sseko|1 Comment
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Jessica: Reflecting on my first year as a Sseko Fellow

There are honestly so many things I love about Sseko but the one thing that keeps coming to my mind is the community. There is a special bond of friendships that happen when you become a Fellow and the relationships that happen with the amazing women in Uganda is so powerful. I love that we are all in this together. It’s not a race for someone to get there first, we are here to encourage one another and look at the bigger picture and dream together of an independent and bright future. […]

By |2018-11-30T01:43:30+00:00November 30th, 2018|Brave Spotlight, Sseko Fellows|0 Comments
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“I quit my job at Sseko Headquarters, then I joined them on my own terms.”

As far as we know, it’s not a common practice to publish interviews with employees who have quit working at your company. But we do things a little differently here at Sseko, and we are excited to share this story!  Adrienne Del Monte was a core member of team Sseko at our headquarters in Portland, Oregon for two years. She interviewed nearly a thousand women who were starting their journeys as Sseko Fellows and helped shape our community into the vibrant and welcoming place that it is. She recently quit  her job at Sseko and we’re sharing an interview with [...]

By |2018-11-01T16:02:24+00:00November 1st, 2018|Brave Spotlight, Women of Sseko|1 Comment
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“I’m Running a Marathon in My Sseko Sandals”

When we found out that Sseko Fellow Pam Cooke is training for a marathon in her Sseko sandals, we could hardly believe it! Disclaimer: our sandals aren’t made with the intention of being running shoes, but Pam is taking her #ssekostyle to the next level! Check out what she’s doing… […]

By |2018-09-21T23:17:22+00:00September 21st, 2018|Brave Spotlight, Sseko Fellows|0 Comments
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Meet Sharon: Sseko Seamstress

Sharon is the leader of our ribbon sandal strap team and a talented seamstress. She is a quick-learner, diligent with all the work she’s given. She’s the type of person who makes your spirit feel happy from talking to her, and at the end of each interaction, you just want to hug her. Sharon is incredibly loving and generous to her family and friends and is a joy to have around. She’s said that “keeping quiet makes me sick,” so if you ever need a good chat, Sharon is your girl. She’s married and she and her husband just welcomed [...]

By |2018-08-08T23:29:01+00:00August 8th, 2018|Uganda, Women of Sseko|0 Comments
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A Note From Sseko’s Founder on Our 9th Birthday

Sseko Designs started in Uganda with four women under a mango tree making leather sandals with interchangeable straps. Mary, Mercy, Rebecca and myself. We were impossibly naive and hopeful about the future and the impact that a single girl and pair of sandals could make in her community and our world. […]

By |2018-07-11T22:23:50+00:00July 11th, 2018|Life at Sseko, Women of Sseko|0 Comments
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The Freedom of Schedule

Meet Shanda, a woman powerhouse, who used Sseko to control her life and put her family first. Hear her story of how her life took a 180-degree turn for freedom and flexibility… Recently, I have been reflecting back to June 2017.  This was one of the hardest months of my life. After a bout of sickness, my youngest son Matteo, was diagnosed with epilepsy caused by fevers and overheating.  News no parent ever wants to hear.  I was fearful of not only his safety but what my life would now look like because of this change. […]

By |2018-07-04T19:08:24+00:00July 4th, 2018|Brave Spotlight, Sseko Fellows|0 Comments
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Freedom to Become My Full Self in Sisterhood

Hear from Sseko Fellow Hope as she shares her experience with the Sseko Sisterhood from the virtual world to Uganda. This Sisterhood has shed light to her freedom… This Sseko Sisterhood of Fellows has been a delightful surprise and a gift of immeasurable value in my life. It is truly the greatest community I have ever been privileged to be a part of that is filled with some of my most favorite people in the world. […]

By |2018-07-02T20:03:24+00:00July 2nd, 2018|Brave Spotlight, Sseko Fellows|0 Comments
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Freedom to Travel

From traveling nearby states to crossing oceans, Sseko Fellow Sarah broke away from the cubicle and began checking off her traveling bucket list. Hear her story and freedoms as a Sseko Fellow… Travel gives life to my soul and brings joy to my world. I feel free on the road. I breathe more easily exploring. I feel alive meeting new people in new places. […]

By |2018-07-01T16:36:25+00:00July 1st, 2018|Brave Spotlight, Sseko Fellows|0 Comments
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From Sales to Sisterhood: Karen’s Story

The mission of Sseko and what it’s doing across the globe for women, was what first drew me to the company. I volunteer for non-profits and am on the board of an anti-sex-trafficking coalition in my community, so everything Sseko is about gets me so excited! I had dabbled in direct sales in the past, so the “selling” side was familiar to me. Since I loved Sseko’s mission already, I was excited to be part of this amazing company once I heard they had opened up the opportunity to be a direct seller of beautiful Sseko products. What I didn’t [...]

By |2018-06-13T18:53:02+00:00June 13th, 2018|Sseko Fellows, Women of Sseko|1 Comment
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Meet Rashidah: College-Bound Because of Sseko

Meet Rashidah, one of the bright young women working at Sseko Uganda during her gap year between high school and college. At the end of her 9-month employment at Sseko, she’ll receive a scholarship matching every dollar she’s saved. Because of this, she’ll be able to fulfill her dream of attending college! Hear from Rashidah herself… I have a humble background. My father passed away when I was very young, and I was raised by a single mother. I am the third of five children. We moved many times. My oldest brother just graduated college, the second oldest brother is [...]

By |2018-06-07T17:38:16+00:00June 7th, 2018|Women of Sseko|0 Comments
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A Bride Shares 6 Steps to Creating a Sustainable Wedding

We love hearing from ethical fashion experts like Keira of Style Me Fair! Keira’s goal was to make her wedding as sustainable as possible and she took the time to share some tips for planning a wedding as a conscious consumer! Read on for some super practical tips on how you can do the same for your environmentally-minded matrimony. After watching the documentary The True Cost, Keira made the decision to plan her wedding with sustainability in mind. She committed to: Only shop secondhand Or purchasing items from companies with ethical and sustainable practices On her blog, Style Me [...]

By |2021-06-24T18:49:25+00:00May 30th, 2018|Sseko Style, Sseko Tips|2 Comments
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A Ugandan Inspired Summer Salad + An Inspiring Note from the Chef

Tara Thomas of Her Garden Kitchen is a talented chef in Portland, Oregon and she modeled for our Summer Capsule Collection! Today, we’re so excited to share some of Tara’s insights with you in addition to an amazing summer salad recipe that she created with inspiration from common Ugandan ingredients.  […]

By |2018-05-15T20:31:51+00:00May 15th, 2018|The Ugandan Cookbook, Uganda|0 Comments
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Sseko’s Founder (and Mom of almost two!) Dishes Her Fave Baby Products!

Although I’ve always loved a good life hack, being a mama of a BUSY toddler (and his soon to be little brother!) has made me a FOOL for anything that can save a little time, energy or sanity. To be honest, I’ve never had a strong loyalty to a specific line of baby products. I’m more like a once I get particularly desperate I’ll run to Target while likely multitasking on a conference call and shove something that looks remotely like what I need into the cart kinda mom. WHATEVER WORKS. […]

By |2018-05-10T18:56:43+00:00May 10th, 2018|Sseko Tips, Uncategorized, Women of Sseko|1 Comment
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5 Books Every Leader Needs on Her Bookshelf

Part of being a great leader is being a lifelong learner. I’ve found so much value in continually reading and gleaning wisdom from others. Now, as I raise up other women to lead our world towards a brighter future through the Sseko Fellows program, I find myself recommending these five books constantly. It’s a bit “off the beaten path” as leadership books go, but I hope you find it as useful as I do! […]

By |2018-02-06T16:33:56+00:00February 6th, 2018|Sseko Tips|0 Comments
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How Sseko Does MLM Differently

One of our key tenets at Sseko Designs is “Ask hard questions.” We welcome tough conversations with open arms! One conversation that we feel is important to jump into is that around the MLM (Multi-Level Marketing a.k.a. Direct Sales) business model. Did you know that Sseko Designs is an MLM business? We weren’t always structured this way, but over the past few years we’ve made an intentional shift to sell products through our community of Sseko Fellows. As we dove into this sustainable business, we worked hard (and continue to work hard!) to create a model that is ethical and [...]

By |2017-11-06T19:23:37+00:00November 6th, 2017|News|0 Comments
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Back to School Essentials That are Ethically Made

It’s that time of year again! Whether you’re headed back to school yourself, or shopping for someone who is, we’ve rounded up our top back to school picks to take your campus style to the next level. (Oh, and we can’t neglect to mention that each of these items are from an ethical brand that is making the world a brighter place!) […]

By |2017-09-06T18:17:19+00:00September 6th, 2017|Sseko Tips|0 Comments
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How To Avoid Isolation When You Work From Home

Thanks to technology, more and more jobs can be done from home. While the thought of being able to work in sweatpants is pretty enticing, many people find themselves fighting feelings of isolation when they spend the majority of their time working from home. How can you embrace the flexibility of working from home without feeling totally shut off from the world? […]

By |2017-08-30T22:17:52+00:00August 30th, 2017|Sseko Tips, Uncategorized|0 Comments
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3 Clutter-Free Ways to Add Personality to Your Closet

We all want our wardrobes to reflect our personality, but how do we express various aspects of our style without adding clutter to our closets? We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite tips for keeping your closet fresh and fun without making unnecessary purchases. Buying better is always preferable to buying more. […]

By |2017-08-23T22:21:37+00:00August 23rd, 2017|Sseko Style|0 Comments
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Fellows Spotlight: Rachel Kelley

The Sseko Fellows are a group of women across the U.S. who share our story, sell our products, and make a difference in their community and our world. We are so lucky to walk alongside these women in creating a brighter future, and want to take a moment to introduce you to one of them, Rachel! Rachel Kelley recently hit ADVENTURESS STATUS, which is a huge deal in Sseko world, let us tell you! This means she sold over $10,000 worth of product in just one month last year! And that she has helped earn heaps of badges for her Sole [...]

By |2017-03-02T01:58:52+00:00March 2nd, 2017|Brave Spotlight, Sseko Fellows, Uncategorized, Women of Sseko|0 Comments
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Sandals Designed for You by You

We know that finding the perfect open-toed flat can be a challenge. Let’s face it, too often finding quality and style in a sandal is tough. You can either find every color of rubber sandal under the sun, or really high-quality leather, but only in a few (often expensive) style selections. We wanted to revolutionize the sandal season, but we knew we couldn’t do it alone. That’s why our sandals come three ways: Limited-time seasonal silhouettes and colored leather Ribbon sandals with dozens of interchangeable looks Custom shop sandals designed entirely by you If you want sandals that will [...]

By |2021-07-05T23:22:22+00:00February 16th, 2017|How It's Made, News, Sseko Style|0 Comments
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Meet Gift!

Meet Gift! Gift is one of the 15 University bound team members with us for the next 9 months. We love her commitment to justice and advocacy. Get to know her and become part of the team that sends her off to University with an additional scholarship! […]

By |2017-02-10T07:30:14+00:00February 10th, 2017|Uganda, Uncategorized, Women of Sseko|0 Comments
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Fellows Spotlight: Jessica Youngblood

The Sseko Fellows are a group of women across the U.S. who share our story, sell our products, and make a difference in their community and our world. We are so lucky to walk alongside these women in creating a brighter future, and want to take a moment to introduce you to one of them, Jessica! Jessica Youngblood recently hit ADVENTURESS STATUS, which is a huge deal in Sseko world, let us tell you! This means she sold over $10,000 worth of product in just one month last year! And that she has helped earn heaps of badges for her [...]

By |2017-02-07T23:30:54+00:00February 7th, 2017|Brave Spotlight, Sseko Fellows, Uncategorized, Women of Sseko|0 Comments
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Introducing the class of 2017!

January is one of our favorite months here at Sseko! We get to kick off the year by introducing you to a new team of university bound women who will work with us for 9 months while they earn an income for university and head off to school in the fall. This year we’ve welcomed 15 bright new faces into the Sseko workshop. This is the largest group we’ve ever had! We are so excited to introduce you to the Class of 2017! […]

By |2017-01-16T20:49:28+00:00January 16th, 2017|Life at Sseko, Uganda, Uncategorized, Women of Sseko|0 Comments
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Fellows Spotlight: Alyssa Singh

The Sseko Fellows are a group of women across the U.S. who share our story, sell our products, and make a difference in their community and our world. We are so lucky to walk alongside these women in creating a brighter future, and want to take a moment to introduce you to one of them, Alyssa! Alyssa Singh recently hit ADVENTURESS STATUS, twice! This means that twice last year, she sold over $10,000 worth of product in just one month! And that she has helped earn heaps of badges for her Sole Sister in Uganda to earn additional scholarship money for [...]

By |2017-01-13T19:31:07+00:00January 13th, 2017|Brave Spotlight, Sseko Fellows, Travel, Uganda, Uncategorized, Women of Sseko|0 Comments
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