Over the last 5 years, Kaima Designs has positioned itself as a brand that's committed to women empowerment and girl-child education initiatives. For us supporting young girls to actualize their dreams and maximize their potential is something dear to us. As such, the launch of this book by a young black girl in the month of February is certainly a triple win for us. When Sophie Eruokwu, a 12th grader at a local school shared the idea of the book for her CAS (Creativity, Activity and Service) project at school, we thought it was a great concept. She went to work and 6 weeks later, we got it published on Amazon. The book is currently available as an e-book only and the French version will be published later in the year.
The story tells of a black girl who struggles to fit in after her family moves to a new town. But when she discovers other kids like her on the outskirts of town, life as she knows it changes forever. It's quite an interesting read.
The e-book is currently available for purchase on Amazon.ca and Amazon.com. However, individuals who are subscribed to Kindle Unlimited can read the book for free for a limited time only, to support Sophie’s school project. All proceeds will be donated to the Saint John Newcomer Centre in support of its programs for newcomers and visible minority groups in the community.
The timing of the e-book which was also illustrated by Miss Eruokwu, couldn’t have been more appropriate - Black History Month; when Blacks across the world are celebrated for their contributions in all spheres of life.
As you would agree, supporting girl child education comes in different variations. part of the Black History Month in our local community, Kaima Designs was featured in the media via a CBC article, CBC radio and Huddle article where Christine, our founder shared her experiences and challenges on keeping the doors open during the pandemic. She talked about her signature Cheta hoodie and referenced how it saved the uniform project under its girlchild education initiative, a crucial part of her business model which is supported by her clients, family and friends. In 2021, almost 300 uniforms were donated to institutions in Nigeria and Cote D’Ivoire.
Black History Month celebration may come to an end today, however, the celebration continues throughout the year because as the Canadian government showcased through this year’s theme – February and Forever, we are enjoined to celebrate our small wins daily and the major contributions of others, all year long.
On that note, we'd like to thank all our clients for believing in our vision and supporting us all the way, especially when it seems difficult. The Black Business Initiative continues to strengthen the ecosystem of small businesses across the Atlantic region through capacity-building efforts. That's definitely worth celebrating. Special thanks to our friends who edited Sophie's book. She's extremely grateful. Finally, we appreciate CBC and Huddle staff for sharing our story during this year's #bhm celebration.
Visit our blog again next month for another interesting piece. Until then, follow us on Instagram and Facebook to see our weekly updates.
Happy New Month!