Global Girls seeks to hire an agent currently living in Kenya (preferably in Malindi)— a returned Peace Corps volunteer or a Kenyan resident who shares the values and objectives of the Peace Corps—for part-time work, who has an interest in growing with the company.

Global Girls is a three-year-old, U.S.-based company that wholesales Kenyan handicrafts to the U.S. and international markets.

Global Girls’ mission is to empower African women and promote traditional crafts by providing jobs at fair trade wages to Kenyan artisans.

Global Girls strives to encourage self-sustainability among African women by providing income-generating opportunities specifically for the disenfranchised. Currently we work with about a dozen women who are HIV positive in Kibera, the slums of Nairobi, who do the beadwork for the some of the sandals that we import.

Our goal is to expand the scope of products the women make and to provide more employment opportunities to them.

Skill Set

• Proficient English speaker with excellent communication skills and easy daily Internet access
• Resourceful, reliable, self- starter who has a “can-do” attitude and gets things done
•  Familiar with Kenyan culture; ideally understands and/or speaks Swahili
• Compassionate and kind, yet firm and authoritative; comfortable in a leadership position

• Comfortable interacting with the disenfranchised and frequenting impoverished areas
• Detail-oriented, follows instructions well; familiar with American work ethic and expectations
• Proficient at operating a digital camera and emailing images and other types of files
•  Computer literate in Word, Excel
• Interest in fashion and design a plus; interest in helping others

 Job Description/ Duties

Act as a liaison between Global Girls in the U.S. and Kenyan artisans.

• Oversee progress on orders to ensure timely delivery of goods
• Visit workshops to monitor sandal making: check for product accuracy in all stages of development
• Email reports to communicate status of orders being produced
• Maintain regular communication with artisans and U.S.
• Check quality and verify merchandise quantities are correct on each order
• Oversee transfer of goods to US: coordinate pick-up

Duties

• Assist in the development of new products and items of interest
• Research and source new products and materials: frequent markets, fairs and stores
• Take photos and/or buy samples; email ideas and photos to US for feedback
• Deliver samples to artisans, discuss specifications, price and delivery
• Check first samples; provide design direction to improve samples; send prototypes to the U.S.

• Develop relationships with artisans to work for Global Girls
• Investigate and develop potential partnerships with NGOs and community-based aid organizations to provide employment for artisans they serve
• Locate and supervise training of artisans

Please email me a brief cover letter stating why you'd be right for the job and your CV (in the body of the email). Please provide your local phone number.

I will be in Kenya April 30–May 15, 2011 and will be conducting interviews.

Contact Info: linda@shopglobalgirls.com