Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How Eileen Akbaraly Of Made For A Woman Is Helping To Change Our World
An Interview With Martita Mestey
Your capacity for empathy can be your biggest strength. As an entrepreneur, this is still my guiding principle in everything I do: recognizing the individuality and value of human potential is what differentiates Made For A Woman from any other project.
As part of my series about “individuals and organizations making an important social impact”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Eileen Akbaraly.
Italian-Indian designer and entrepreneur, Eileen Akbaraly always knew she would find a way to combine her two greatest passions — fashion and sustainability — in a way that would have a lasting impact on her home of Madagascar. After working with several humanitarian organizations and completing her studies in Fashion Business and Global Communications, she founded Made For A Woman in 2019, the first women-led and focused sustainable fashion brand in Madagascar. Eileen’s goal is to lead by example, weaving a more sustainable and socially responsible future for fashion.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit. Can you tell us a bit about how you grew up?
As a child from a multicultural background (Italian and Indian), growing up in a country that is considered one of the last “Eden’s” on Earth, yet is one of the poorest nations in the world was an eye-opening experience.
I never truly understood why I came to be born in a family where the worries of basic survival, a warm meal, a comfortable bed, education, and healthcare were not a part of my life, while scores of children like myself were living on the street. This reality has always been difficult for me to accept and affected the way I perceive the world and how I live my life to this day.
You are currently leading a social impact organization that is making a difference for our planet. Can you tell us a bit about what you and your organization are trying to change in our world today?
At Made For A Woman our goal is to lead by example in the fashion industry by weaving a better, more sustainable future for fashion. We have developed and implemented a sustainable and scalable business model based on measurable KPIs that has allowed us to become WFTO-verified, proving that transparency and sustainability are key values to be successful in the fashion industry
The business is focused on supporting the women and men of Madagascar, while tapping into the local raw material of raffia, to create a sustainable and ethically compliant luxury fashion. The Made For A Woman Atelier is a space dedicated to trust, transparency, self-love, and strength for over 350 Malagasy women and men; where we create unique, handmade luxury accessories and apparel while simultaneously supporting the community and quality of life of the marginalized people of Madagascar.
Our goal is to show the industry that you can be profitable while still putting people and the environment first. Our hope is to have this business model implemented across the globe and also to continue to lend our craftsmanship to other luxury brands that are dedicated to making their own businesses more sustainable.
Can you tell us the backstory about what inspired you to originally feel passionate about this cause?
My inspiration behind the brand stemmed from my experiences growing up in Madagascar. I decided to seize every opportunity I could to help the people around me: stemming from these beliefs, I launched Made For A Woman in 2019 — the first women-led and women-centered sustainable fashion brand in Madagascar.
Many of us have ideas, dreams, and passions, but never manifest them. They don’t get up and just do it. But you did. Was there an “Aha Moment” that made you decide that you were actually going to step up and do it? What was that final trigger?
Seeing the economic hardships faced by the people in Madagascar, and being surrounded by my mother’s own charitable foundation, instilled in me the sense to give back to society. Creating a social entrepreneurship was never an option for me, I always knew that my purpose was to give back to society in a meaningful and impactful way.
Many people don’t know the steps to take to start a new organization. What are some of the things or steps you took to get your project started?
In order to maintain integrity when building a sustainable and ethical business, transparency is key. A lot of research goes into this. I found the only certified supplier of raffia in Madagascar, who was affiliated with the Ministry of Environment, and maintain in-house supply chain management. We also work with a sustainability auditor, who offers support to the local community, including to those who are pruning the raffia.
We also work with the Ministry of Population and local grassroots organizations that reach out to women in at-risk environments. We then provide them with necessary professional training and resources to welcome them as artisans into our Atelier.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company or organization?
Putting our artisans first and giving them a platform and voice through the work that we do at Made For A Woman is at the core of our business. We had the opportunity to involve three of our artisans at our brand’s Milan Fashion Week debut, where they had the opportunity to share their inspirational stories, dreams, and aspirations. That was a special moment.
It has been said, that sometimes our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Do you have a story about a humorous mistake that you made when you were first starting and the lesson you learned from that?
I am learning lessons everyday.. For a brand like Made For A Woman, operating in a developing country, the challenges are manifold, and come with the territory. Working with vulnerable and marginalized women means that we must always be aware of what could be going on “behind the scenes” to support them in the most effective way. We have chosen to base our business model on our social impact in addition to our financial success, which means we have several more boxes to tick to consider ourselves successful compared to our competitors.
None of us can be successful without some help along the way. Did you have mentors or cheerleaders who helped you to succeed? Can you tell us a story about their influence?
My family is a huge part of my success. Growing surrounded by my parents’ own charitable pursuits helped me to see my empathy for others as a strength and not a weakness. In fact, this trait is my greatest motivation — without it, I would not have been driven to create Made For A Woman. I am extremely fortunate to have been brought up in a home where I have learned by example that putting people first is the way forward.
Are there three things the community, society, or politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
Sustainability claims in the industry are often misleading — greenwashing needs to be regulated. The fashion industry also must take accountability in its role of increased carbon emissions. This can be achieved through supply chain transparency and the requirement of published sustainability reports. Brands must be more transparent about what is happening behind the scenes, not only in terms of the environmental concerns, but also with the direct impact on its people and artisans.
Our goal is to become the go-to company for raffia products worldwide, as well as a role model for sustainability and social impact, especially in developing countries. As we keep setting an example for the whole fashion industry, we are looking forward to building a wider network of like-minded partners to further develop our vision and impact.
How would you articulate how a business can become more profitable by being more sustainable and more environmentally conscious? Can you share a story or example?
Establishing credibility and rapport should lie at the core of every business. We have chosen to put our artisans at the forefront of our project, to give a platform and a voice to marginalized people and allow our customers to get to know the people who are helping us weave the future of fashion. Working conditions, salaries, education, and healthcare standards must be met. We work with over 350 artisans, both seasonal and year-round workers — all of them are provided the same services and can access the same benefits.
We support our artisans as they reach their full potential by offering them education opportunities, including IT classes, French classes, financial literacy classes, and professional development workshops. We invest heavily on management and leadership skills so that they can build a career for themselves, grow within the company, and help educate more women as we expand the scope of our actions.
We also make healthcare accessible and free, by providing medical care where needed, as well as family planning and contraception, women’s health, hygiene and nutrition workshops, daily balanced meals, group therapy sessions and daily mood tracking to ensure that their needs are met, as well as team bonding experiences like Zumba classes.
What’s more, our childcare area ensures that mothers do not have to pick between caring for their children and having a career. In a country like Madagascar, where malnutrition is widespread and disproportionately affects mothers and children, this is especially important because it allows mothers to continue breastfeeding their children, sharply reducing the malnutrition rate and the risk of death for children under the age of 5.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why?
1. Your capacity for empathy can be your biggest strength. As an entrepreneur, this is still my guiding principle in everything I do: recognizing the individuality and value of human potential is what differentiates Made For A Woman from any other project.
2. Basing your business model on social impact, rather than solely financial success, means you have more to prove. In order to remain transparent, authentic, and successful means that we have several more boxes to tick than our competitors in the space.
3. You have to really believe in your vision and make it your passion. Being an entrepreneur is not as glamourous as it may seem. It involves long hours and many sacrifices — if you aren’t passionate about your project, it won’t be easy to stay motivated and put in the work that’s required.
4. The fashion industry has an existing set of standards, rules, and expectations. Carving a niche for yourself in the industry means staying true to your creative vision and end-goal — regardless of how many times you’re told “no”, or “that won’t work”. At Made For A Woman, being true to ourselves as we continue to be trailblazers and disrupt the paradigms of the industry is key to our success.
5. Working in a developing country will present challenges that you are likely not accustomed to. While I knew that there would be many learning curves, It’s impossible to prepare yourself for everything. Sometimes you have to make mistakes in order to figure out the best solution for a problem.
If you could tell other young people one thing about why they should consider making a positive impact on our environment or society, like you, what would you tell them?
It’s possible to create a profitable business out of putting people and the environment first.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Far too often people think of themselves as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity.” — Desmond Tutu
When we invest in supporting the improvement and quality of life of others, everyone wins.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
Malala. Her story and how she has decided to responsibly use her voice to empower girls and women all over the world have gotten my uttermost respect.
How can our readers follow you online?
https://www.instagram.com/madeforawoman/
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success on your great work!
Social Impact Heroes Helping Our Planet: Why & How Eileen Akbaraly Of Made For A Woman Is Helping… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.