Sapelle.com was co-founded in 2012 out of a desire to bring something original and beautiful out of Africa to women around the world.  I’d had a successful banking career, where one of my specialist areas was financing retail companies, so I’d gained some valuable insight into the workings of a fashion retail company.

I’m a passionate believer in trade as a means of bringing about lasting prosperity in developing communities.  A few years ago, I came to a point in my career where I felt a strong desire to put that belief into practice while using my experience to establish a business that would benefit communities in Africa.

The Sapelle.com model of showcasing different designers means that customers have one platform to shop from 30+ individual suppliers.  I also believe that, not only has African-inspired design found a permanent place on the fashion scene, but the African fashion is poised for huge growth in the years to come. The talent available is amazing!

Being an ethical company means that we can set an example for the fledgling African textile and apparel industry so as to avoid the ‘fast fashion’ pitfalls that some in the retail industry have fallen into, like the recent tragic Bangladesh factory collapse.

My ambition for Sapelle.com is for it to be an industry leader, an authoritative voice in the African fashion industry and a household name for women everywhere who are seeking a touch of African design for their wardrobe. We want to offer woman a variety of beautiful, modern fashion and accessories that are both well made and well priced.

We’ve had a great response from the public so far, we’re building lasting relationships with our suppliers and we’re really looking forward to bigger and better things for the company and the industry in general in the future.

Many thanks and best regards,
Daphne
—————
Daphne Kasambala, CEO Sapellé
Tel: +44(0)7867 483 341
Web:  http://Sapelle.com

Twt: @SapelleStyle

FBk:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sapellé/126964207427092

Pin: http://pinterest.com/sapelle/

Sapellé is proud to be a Fellowship 500 Member of the Ethical Fashion Forum,
a global network focusing on social and environmental sustainability in the fashion industry.

Sisterhood Agenda announces its 2013 Sisterhood Agenda Global Partner Award recipients:

• Belinda Harden, Founder and President of Mary McLeod Bethune Humanitarian Network
• Maimah Karmo, Founder of Tigerlily Foundation
• Dr. Margaret Kilibwa, Founder Tropical Clinics
• Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq., National Chair of the National Congress of Black Women

Honored for their extraordinary work with women and girls of African descent, the Sisterhood Agenda Global Partner Award winners are doing the work that needs to be done and making our world a better place for everyone.  Thank you, ladies!

Every woman’s journey to motherhood is different. But usually, the first decision you’ll make as a mom is how to feed your child.  It’s Only Natural helps AfricanAmerican women and their families understand the health benefits of breastfeeding—not just for babies, but for moms, too. You will find facts about breastfeeding and get practical tips on how to make breastfeeding work for you while getting the support you need:  http://www.womenshealth.gov/itsonlynatural/.

On February 28, 2006, at 4:45 p.m., she was diagnosed with Stage 2 breast cancer. She had no family history of breast cancer and was only 32-years old. While undergoing chemotherapy, she made a promise to God that if she survived, she would create an organization that would educate, empower, advocate for and support young women affected by breast cancer. After her second round of treatment, Tigerlily Foundation was born.

Since starting Tigerlily, Maimah has dedicated her life to helping young women around the world. She is a speaker and has appeared in various media outlets, to include O, the Oprah Magazine, Essence, Ladies Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Redbook Women and Cancer, Cure Magazine and more. She has also been featured on Fox 5, ABC 7, CBS, the Oprah Winfrey Show, Good Morning Americaand numerous national radio stations. In 2009, Maimah was awarded a L’Oreal Paris’ Woman of Worth award, among others. Most dear to her heart is being the mother of a beautiful 7-year old girl, whom she adores.

While breast cancer was an unwelcome experience, Maimah would not give back the experience. “I’ve lived more in the past four years than I did the years before, and when I die, I want to know that I made the best use of my “after life” and impacted the lives of as many people as possible.” Maimah is dedicated to changing the breast cancer landscape and creating a legacy of a world free of breast cancer.

*A Sisterhood Agenda Global Partner

In addition to her interest in clinical research, Dr. Kilibwa has been involved in international and humanitarian work in Kenya for the past ten years. She was a recipient of a monetary award from Johnson & Johnson and MAP International in 2003 for her devotion to helping children of Nyumbani Orphanage and other parts of Kenya left destitute by the devastation of the HIV virus and alleviating hunger for many people in the rural areas of Western Kenya.

It is her interest in healthy longevity and helping the disadvantaged women, children and their families that led to her founding of TropicalClinics* in 2005. TropicalClinics are innovative health centers with a mission of providing medical and therapeutic care to women, children and their families in rural communities in Kenya through newest generation of drugs, therapeutic nutrients and alternative medicine, and state-of-art diagnostic tools. The first health center is slated to be fully operational in 2012 at Kakamega, a rural region of 173,000 people in Western Kenya.

The comprehensive medical and prevention program she has planned and the skilled palliative care services that she offers to rural women, children and their families in Africa stand among the most personally gratifying achievements of her humanitarian efforts and enhance her belief in purposeful work.

*A Sisterhood Agenda Global Partner

Belinda Harden, president and founder of the Mary McLeod Bethune Humanitarian Network*, is a direct descendant of Mary McLeod Bethune. With over thirty years of experience in education, this rewarding profession has become the inspiration for Ms. Harden’s purpose driven journey in life. As an educator, it was her belief that every child has the ability to soar to their fullest potential and achieve academic excellence. Ms. Harden realized that this same belief was being passed down by her great-great aunt Mary McLeod Bethune. Therefore, she feels it is her moral obligation to continue to resurrect Mary’s indomitable legacy to this country. The catalyst for Ms. Harden creating the Mary McLeod Bethune Humanitarian Network, a nonprofit organization, was due to her great-great aunt’s most published work entitled “Last Will and Testament.”  This document consists of nine maxims and is an embodiment of how she defines her life experiences.

Belinda Harden holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cheyney State University in Cheyney, Pennsylvania. During her time as an educator, she used her talents and passion to create and facilitate a Language Arts Enrichment Program, workshops for educators and parents in various school districts. She also served as the director of a Teenage Pregnancy Awareness Program throughout several communities in New Jersey. Belinda is a keynote speaker on the historical legacy of Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune and an affiliate member of the Jersey City Educational Association, New Jersey Educational Association and the National Educational Association.

The strength, perseverance, and hope that Ms. Harden has for the Mary McLeod Bethune Humanitarian Network embodies one of Dr. Bethune’s most famous quotes: “Not for myself, but for others.”

*A Sisterhood Agenda Global Partner

She holds a Masters of Public Administration from the University of Southern California; a Juris Doctorate from Howard University School of Law; Administration and Supervision Credential from U.C.L.A; BS Degree from Grambling State University of Louisiana and PhD in Public Administration from City University of Los Angeles. She completed her Doctor of Ministry degree at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.

She has traveled extensively, and has done research abroad and at home on numerous subjects. Williams’ PhD. dissertation is entitled “The Harassment of African Americans”. Her Doctor of Ministry thesis is on “The Role of the Church in the Health of its Members”. She is the author of 3 other books on political and foreign affairs and is a prolific public speaker appearing on CBS, CNN, NPR, Good Morning America, the David Brinkley Show, the Canadian Broadcasting System, C-Span, MSNBC and others. She has appeared on WorldNet Television to discuss the role people of African descent play in elections. She has addressed numerous peace and human rights groups in the U.S., Greece, Iraq, Haiti, Gabon, Senegal, Tunisia, Palestine, Israel, Benin and other nations. She was a delegate to the Reconciliation Conference in Benin, West Africa, and the StraightTalk Economic Empowerment Conference in South Africa

Dr. Williams is President/CEO of Natural Health Options, with exclusive manufacturing rights to natural products created from the work of the scientific genius, Dr. George Washington Carver.  She is Chair of the Board of the Black Leadership Forum (A coalition of key Black organizations.) She succeeds Urban League President Marc Morial.

*A Sisterhood Agenda Global Partner

St John, VI—In its third year, Sisterhood Agenda will implement SHE:  Sisters Healthy & Empowered in celebration of National Women’s Health Week on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 11am-6pm.  Sharing space with VITEMA’s outreach event during the day, Sisterhood Agenda will provide SHE activities, health information, and coordinate fitness demonstrations for residents in St. John in Franklin Powell Park.

Overweight/obesity, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, stroke, and heart disease are familiar concerns for St. John residents. “This is a fun event, but one that also has a purpose:  we can be healthy and empowered by making good choices,” states Angela D. Coleman, Sisterhood Agenda President.

With DJ’s and participation from Women’s Sports Foundation, March of Dimes, Myrah Keating Health Center, Family Resource Center, Council on Alcohol, Drug Dependence St. Thomas-St. John (COAST), Hope, Inc., VI Department of Sports, Parks & Recreation, and Wisdom Waves Wellness Center-St. Thomas, Sisterhood Agenda will celebrate National Women’s Health week by giving away SHE health kits with local resource information, advice, guidelines, and inspiration during this health-focused community event.

This year’s SHE event is special:  Sisterhood Agenda will recognize four pioneering female leaders who are doing dynamic work in their communities with Sisterhood Agenda Global Partner Awards given to: 1) Belinda Harden, Founder and President of Mary McLeod Bethune Humanitarian Network, 2) Maimah Karmo, Founder of Tigerlily Foundation, 3) Dr. Margaret Kilibwa, Founder of Tropical Clinics, and 4) Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq., National Chair of the National Congress of Black Women.

Sisterhood Agenda would like to thank Pine Peace Market for its food and water donations. Volunteers are welcome.

World Pulse is excited to announce the official launch of the six-month-long Girls Transform the World Digital Action Campaign, uniting voices of girls, young women, and their champions who are breaking through barriers so that girls everywhere will have access to education, and the opportunity to transform the world.

Seven years of global unity, standing for the well being of earth’s children!

Please join them on Sunday May 12, 2013 at 1 pm local time as they stand for a better world with 5 minutes of silence. Read Sharon Mehdi’s inspiring story offered in many languages, join in the Mother’s Day Peace Prayer and sisterhood of projects holding hands across earth’s hemispheres, and stand as one!

Tell them where you will stand: CLICK HERE See where others will be standing: CLICK HERE

Join the legions of women and men around the world who have united behind the following statement:

Images of Black Women (IBW) Film Festival promotes race and gender equality in film & society as a whole by shining the spot light on Black women who suffer both race & gender inequality in front and behind the camera.

Over the years, IBW showcased the global Black experience with a focus on women in varied roles such as actresses, directors, screenwriters and producers. Supported upcoming filmmakers such as Rungano Nyoni (Mwansa The Great) & premiered work from renowned directors such as the first Black woman to win Best Director at Sundance 2012 Ava DuVernay and welcomed international film icon Euzhan Palcy.

To mark its 9th anniversary, the festival has expanded across London to deliver a 9-day festival instead of its usual 3 days.  In addition IBW has also become a platform for artists with its art exhibition “Feminine Expressions & Representations.”

For festival discount tickets & more, join their Nucinema mailing list.