#MCCOTInterview {14}

Francesca De Gottardo, the Italian Female entrepreneur who is helping Tanzanian women to dream bold

It is never too late to change direction. Indeed one day, you can choose to close a door and open an other one. This is exactly what Francesca De Gottardo did. 4 years ago, she quitted her job as a SMM in a luxury fashion company based in Milan. She gave up to her comfort zone and a permanent contract to work on a bold personal project. She wanted to do something than can help other people. Especially other women. She wanted to create something meaningful. She co-founded the innovative startup also Benefit Corporation called Endelea (which means keep going in Tanzanian). Together with her female team, she built a brigde between Milan and African Dar es Salaam. Endelea's daily commitment in female empowerment and sustainable and transparent way towards people and environment made her an happy founder. Let's meet an ambassador of Ethical Fashion who is living her dream of changing people's lives in better. A woman who has finally find her own positive and useful role in this world. A proud 'Mama'.

By Hélène Battaglia

Who are you?

Hello, I’m Francesca De Gottardo! I was a Social Media Manager in a luxury fashion company in Milan until 4 years ago.  I have quitted  this permanent contract because I believed in a project I had in mind but that was still without a name at that time. Today, I’m the CEO and co-founder of what has become an innovative startup and a benefit corporation called Endelea.

  

Which background brought you to Tanzanian Dar es Salaam, the city where all your production is based?

In 2017, my job in the fashion field started to wear on me and I felt a strong need to do something different, able to have a positive impact on other people’s lives. I traveled to different African countries to research on textiles, and I felt in love with Tanzania, its people and its traditions. I wanted to make the most out of my previous experience in fashion and to build a bridge between Milan and Africa, sharing skills where they were needed the most: Tanzania was just perfect, not having a real fashion industry yet, thus providing a true opportunity to grow a business like Endelea and create something meaningful.

On your IG Account’s bio, you have written Mother and not founder. Why?

I believe other entrepreneurs could easily understand why: when you create from scratch something of your own, in which you believe 100% and where you put all your energy and efforts, time and hopes, you really care about it as if it was your baby. In some way, Endelea has its own soul and I see this project growing everyday in front of me, year after year, thanks to all the wonderful people that are involved in it, and I actually feel like a proud Mama most of the time!

What does the name ‘Endelea’ mean?

In Swahili, “endelea” is a verb that literally means to keep going, to continue without giving up. It sums up perfectly our vision and our spirit, together with the motto Dream Bold – which calls out to all changemakers out there to go straight on their path, live colorful and dream big.

 What is the project behind the brand?

Endelea was born in 2018 with the goal to create a positive impact in fashion, and it now represents an ethical alternative in today’s fashion world. We envisioned a brand that is able to generate value not only for its final customers, but also for all the people involved in its supply chain. A double team of Italians and Tanzanians creates clothings, accessories and home decor items, mixing African fabrics with a Made in Italy design, keeping sustainability, inclusivity and transparency at the center of everything we do. We also believe that knowledge is the key to change and we are investing part of our gross revenues in education, collaborating with local universities in Tanzania, organizing free workshops and sponsoring scholarships and collaborations with Italian institutions. Our goal is to create an international ecosystem for fashion where designers, artisans and students work together to create high quality fashion products in a sustainable and multicultural environment.

Endelea in three words…

People, creativity, courage.

Endelea is an Ethical fashion brand. What does it concretely mean?

We believe that a small yet prosperous business can benefit everyone and contribute to drive changes towards more equitable and responsible societies. For this reason, we chose to be a Benefit Corporation, operating in a sustainable and transparent way towards people and environment. Our collections are designed in Milan and ethically made in Dar es Salaam by local tailors and seamstresses that are trained by Endelea. Training is present at all levels of the project and has always been its central element since the early days when we were only imagining it. Supporting the professional and entrepreneurial training of local people in a country where fashion is not yet developed as an industry capable of promoting economic growth is in fact the mission of Endelea. A fixed percentage of all our revenues, regardless of costs, is reinvested in educational programs in collaboration with the University of Dar es Salaam.

Tell us more about your claim ‘Dream Bold’?

It describes our style, that mixes minimal designs with prints that really stand out, with their bright colors and vibrant patterns, but also the dream of Tanzanian students to become fashion designers, together with our own dream to generate a positive impact and lead a change in the fashion industry, both in Africa and internationally.

When did you fall in love with wax and kikoi fabrics?

Wax is easy to love at first sight. The first time I entered a local market in Africa I immediately felt for their bright colors and the endless combinations of patterns. It’s a fabric that brings instant joy and it can carry a lot of different meanings, it has an history and it’s part of the African narrative at many different level. I discovered Kikoi when I started to dig deeper in the fascinating African textile culture. Endelea collaborated with Cracode, one of the last workshops in Dar es Salaam to hand down this manual knowledge generation from generation, and here I really started to love this handwoven fabric that requires time and patience. By wearing kikoi, you wear history and culture, together with the time and love it required to be made.

You already produce Clothing, Bags, Home décor. Are you planning new brand extensions?

I’m constantly planning new ideas for Endelea and I’m always on the look for new inspiration! But for the time being, Endelea is a very small project with already a lot on its plate, so we better take it “pole pole” as Tanzanians say – piano piano, one step at a time.

You also support Black Art. In which way?

Endelea Supports Black Art is a project designed to give voice and visibility to African artists through fashion. The first artist involved in 2021 was Valerie Asiimwe Amani: she was chosen for her ability to courageously deal with strong and still quite unprecedented themes for Tanzania such as feminism and women's rights. She wrote a poem for Endelea and we turned it into a limited edition organic t-shirt. In addition to enhancing the work of Asiimwe Amani and transmitting a message of prosperity and courage, those who buy it help support the activities of Nafasi Art Space, the lively center for contemporary art in Dar es Salaam. The 2022 edition is a capsule collection of hand painted women clothes, featuring the traditional Tanzanian Tingatinga style, which is a genre of painting born in the 1960s in Dar es Salaam and characterized by bright colors and naive subjects inspired by African nature. All items are painted by Tingatinga artist Amos Ashee Mtambala: his work is paid fairly and each purchase supports the activities of the Tingatinga Arts Cooperative Society, which granted Endelea with an official partnership.

One of your brand’s main commitments is the female empowerment. How did you work on it?

Endelea is a predominantly female company. Two-thirds of the management is female, and 85% of the team is made by women, from 24 to 50 years old. We have reduced to zero the gender pay gap and we try our best to constantly improve the relationship with our collaborators and employees. The Tanzanian team is offered a salary that is 52% higher than the average of the country, together with free lunch, transport to work and health insurance for them and their children. We always set time aside for open dialogues to discuss themes such as feminism, inclusion, diversity and human rights, and we’re now planning official workshops on female empowerment together with a Tanzanian activist and therapist.

You are a globe-trotter who loves travelling. As a European and as an Italian, what made you fall in love with Tanzania?

Above all, it was the people. Their smiles, the constant kindness and friendlyness, the ability to maintain a positive attitude in all types of situations, the confident philosophy with which they face difficulties and unexpected events. I love this unique opportunity to spend so much time there and try to be more like them.

All the pictures are Courtesy of Endelea

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