Alex Rose-Innes
Rahel Mwitula Williams has all the necessary personality and character traits to make her a successful entrepreneur and lifestyle brand builder.
This Tanzanian young woman, who is as talented as beautiful, boasts a huge dose of creativity, a unique fashion sense and a social conscience so in demand across the world today.
Her uniquely designed clothing and products are not only visually appealing, but also makes a difference in her community, her country and in the manner in which she celebrates womanhood.
Her brand, ILAVA, which means it can be done, is indicative of her passionate nature and by applying her vision, her dreams and hopes for the future in a tangible way, she also empowers others, especially women. As Rachel herself says; “ILAVA is a socially responsible lifestyle brand using fashion to empower women and inspire change around the world.”
Four main products had already seen the light – jewellery, handmade cards from recycled products, lifestyle fashion (for women and children) and home décor items. In essence, ILAVA tells the story of the women of Tanzania and Kenya and teaches them to honour their roots and take pride in who they are.
The products, especially the fashion and accessories, are uniquely African and every sale provides school uniforms to the poorer pre-primary children in Arusha in Tanzania, as well as bicycles to secondary school girls in Dodoma. At ILAVA jobs are created for women to empower them and feed their families.
After Rachel got an opportunity to travel to Kenya while she studied for her Master of Science degree in International Public Service in America, she fell in love with her grandmother’s country. During her trip she visited several women’s co-ops. The Kibera Paper Project (KPP) which makes greeting cards from recycled materials changed her life.
She told Absa Bank’s 100 Lionesses that she understood her responsibility as a woman towards Africa from a young age and started selling the recycled cards to Americans. Her own business grew out of that experience and she realised that as the world became aware of the vast resources and talents of Africa, that the time was ripe to branch out on her own.
ILAVA had since grown by leaps and bounds and Rachel’s start-up story had empowered other young people to believe in themselves and that with hard work, any dream could become a reality. The business had since made its mark in Tanzania and other countries on the continent by providing training programmes, setting up sustainable and working partnerships and is well known for its sponsorships.
As founder and lead designer of ILAVA, Rachel now has 12 women and two men as part of her team. While running the company, she also found time to obtain her BSc degree in Psychology.
Rachel believes that female entrepreneurs are vital in enhancing women’s and community development. Her products and fashion items display her motto that African clothing is a lifestyle, proud of its cultural heritage and becoming increasingly popular across the continent where her designs hold their own among other couturier brands.
