Francis Njoga is one of those dudes that have always jazzed the heck out of me. While many (inlcuding yours truly) went on their AIESEC traineeships to European and American capitals, he flipped the script and went to Ghana. Actually he made me realise that one could actually consider going to an African country to get a great cultural experience.

The man came back with the entrepreneurial bug and played a big part in Ecosandals story. For this in the darkness, this is a project that runs in several slums in Nairobi . The whole idea is to make sandals we all know as akala. These sandals are then sold online to various buyers all over the world. The project has been quite successful and was even featured on CNN (and KTN and other local media).

Handbag anyone?

With the success of the previous project, Franya as many call him has been selling a new project called Vpriento. Again its a web based venture though this one has more that just sandals on offer. It includes hand bags, sandal and other leather products. One of my fave products in that range is the products for the Toilet. As the man said, "I've got to get me one of the these!"

This project has a real chance of succeeding and I have to laud my guy on his initiative. One thing I can be sure of is that when I buy his product, I don't have to take my shoes to a fundi to shonesha a ring or string. I recently bought a pair of North Stars from retailer Bata. The shoes are well styled lakini... I had to take them to my local cobbler to give a line of uzi. Its not the cost that really riles me as much as the shoes looses its new look once the cobbler is through with it. Not good. And Bata guys wonder why we are avoiding their kicks like the Chelsea, sorry the plague.