|
|
 
|
  Valley Uniques, Doing Well by Doing GoodThree new enterprises in West Virginia follow different, but similar paths in using business for social impact that includes aiding the poor in Africa, supporting war-ravaged women in Afghanistan and promoting world peace. Experts call this "social enterprise," in which a business translates financial success into social good. A well-known example, that has generated more than $250 million for social causes in 25 years, is actor Paul Newman's company, Newman's Own. Locally, Tumai Water from Martinsburg is on a similar mission, helping the poor in sub-Saharan Africa. The headline from the 2008 International Water Tasting in Berkeley Springs announced, "World's Best Bottled Water Makes a Difference." "We wanted the mission to be consumer driven," said Tumai CEO and founder Bob Downey. "But it's more than selling water to raise money. We also spread awareness of the issues." According to Downey, these run the gamut from safe water to essential nutrition and education. A year ago, Downey went to Africa to break ground for a care center in Mozambique. "I laid block," he said. "For it to matter, I need to actually do the work." Downey's destination in November is Kenya. Through wells drilled using Tumai funds, five villages will have clean water for the first time. "Tumai means hope in Swahili," Downey said. Winning the water competition lit a rocket under Tumai's business plan, which puts a portion of its profits into African projects. "We had no distributors in February and were shipping about a dozen cases of water a week," Downey said. "Then we won in Berkeley Springs. Six months later we have distributors in California, Texas, the United Kingdom, Cyprus and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Jefferson Distribution in Martinsburg, and we're shipping 400 cases a week."  And it's not just major
distributors who are attracted. "A guy in Wisconsin contacted us. He's shipping two pallets of water to his
daughter's wedding in Ghana."For Fahima Vorgetts, the product is rugs and the mission is helping Afghan women. An Afghani who left her country during the Soviet invasion in 1979, Vorgetts is Director of the Afghan Women's Fund, a non-profit she founded under the umbrella of Women for Afghan Women. A major portion of her profit from selling handcrafted Oriental rugs and antiques goes to projects including building, outfitting and operating village schools for girls and women, and digging wells and supplying medical clinics in half dozen locations around Afghanistan. Her current base of operations is Valley Caravan Gallery, in a 5,000-square-foot structure she built recently, south of Berkeley Springs. But finding Vorgetts there is a challenge. She travels back to Afghanistan to guide her projects and purchase products several times a year. Other times, she travels throughout the United States speaking to groups, especially at churches and schools, about the plight of Afghani women. All rugs in Fahima's shop are handmade and knotted. Some are colored with vegetable dyes. They come in all sizes from small prayer rugs to room-sized. Other products in the store include shawls, scarves and tapestries, as well as furniture. Vorgett's direct purchase of products, often from women's groups she is aiding with vocational training, allows her to pass savings to her customers.  Rragtime is a Berkeley
Springs stained glass artist with more than 30 years experience in his craft. He has first-hand knowledge of war,
having fought in Vietnam as a U.S. Marine. From that experience grew a desperate commitment to peace.His first stained glass peace sign was made for the Morgan Arts Council's annual Art Auction. "I fell into making them one at a time for special people," he said "By about number seven, I came up with the idea of these being points of peace. I was driving to New Hampshire when I committed myself to making 1,000 of them." Most of the early ones were given away. The first one sold was number 20 and then not another was sold until number 80. "I had the pattern perfect by number 40," he said. ragtime has no specific timetable or output scheduled. "All I know is that I made more in the second year than in the first," he said. The count currently stands at 250. There is a website, 1000pointsofpeace.com, that offers a choice of patterns and colors, and a mechanism for ordering a peace sign. An assistant, Kat Braun, keeps a log that includes a photo and the recipient's name for each peace sign. "I knew this was going to be important," she said, "so I kept track from the beginning." |
|
|
Copyright © 2009 - 2010 Valley Homes & Style :: All Rights Reserved. |