Words have such power. That’s why ‘Kicheko,’ a social good jewelry business founded by Sarah Bayot, elicits happiness. It means “laughter” in Swahili and was born out of Sarah’s love for the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is there, in Uvira, that over 30 orphaned children live and eat and go to school. (Check out the trip I took there with Sarah in these posts: here, here, here and here.)
Sarah has visited the DRC seven times and has invested her time, money, prayers and business into the lives of these kids who have grown up with her as a friend and mentor. Without mothers and fathers, the children are reliant on adult figures who love and care for them to procure wisdom, protection and unconditional love.
Sarah’s passion for Congo combined with her creative spirit and mind for business led to the creation of a business that is now going over three years strong. She’s grown into an inspirational entrepreneur, starting from scratch and Googling “how-tos,” building a gorgeous website and online presence and hacking the world of online shopping.
I think everyone has a pocket dream — to create something out of nothing. And for people that actually do it, there’s a lot of admiration, support, curiosity when you watch someone else do it. It can be fuel for yourself to keep going for yourself.
While Kicheko is a for-profit, business, it is also a social good brand. They give back with every piece of jewelry sold, specifically sending money toward the Mango Tree School the orphans are educated at. So plug in your headphones and listen in our conversation about living a life that matters and doing what your heart — and God — has called you to do.
Things in this episode:
- Kicheko
- Sacred Enneagram
- Toms Shoes
- Lizzie Fortunato
- Anglea Ahredts, Senior VP of Retail at Apple
- Up First, Radiolab, No Limits with Rebecca Jarvis, National Retail Federation podcast
- Design Matters podcast
Connect with Sarah:
