By Keren Pybus | CEO of Ethical Apparel Africa
When I heard God asking me to walk on the water, to trust Jesus with my career, I thought that meant doing something terrifying, something I had never done before, something brand new – and for some that could be the case. It turned out for me, it just meant using the skills, gifts, and experiences that God had already given me. This was a call to step out and trust him to make a change through me.
My decades of experience working in factories in developing countries had shown me that there was a way to do garment manufacturing differently, by focusing on the people and not just the profit, all whilst still being able to satisfy the customers. I have seen how greed drives the garment industry, whether that is consumers buying things they don’t really need, or brands pushing for margin to line their own bank accounts or even from factory owners wanting status and a show of wealth.
God calls us to have selfless love, to put others before ourselves, to steward what we have and to play our part in caring for those who have less than us. By combining that with the skills and passions I have, here I discovered my calling. My calling was to make a change in the garment industry but in a way that could be replicated by others, in a way that demonstrated doing ethical manufacturing at scale is possible. Moreover, in a way that makes a profit but invests that profit back to create more opportunities that will empower all those that work in it. Empowerment starts with having a sustainable job that provides a living wage, but it also means multi-skilling, career development, health education and having the best supportive place and environment to work in.
It has not been easy, spiritual attack is a real thing, but faith can move mountains, prayer is of paramount importance and keeping my eyes fixed on Jesus as I set out to cross the water. As Christians we can lead the way, we have the best role model in Jesus and with the Holy Spirit we can shape our industries for better, why would you not want to join that work in God’s world!?
Watch Ethical Apparel Africa: https://youtu.be/GlbMBlxHxQI?si=fZbQANJKEr-mUjWg
