YYC Feature: THE GREEN GIRAFFE
Sea Ramanat’s brand is built on compassion
Sea Ramanat believes in kid’s clothes that are compassionate! Her company, The Green Giraffe, offers home and clothing products made by artisans in Sierra Leone, West Africa. Ramanat is passionate about ensuring that artisans have dignified working conditions and are compensated fairly for their creations. The Green Giraffe’s mission is to empower artisans to become economically self-sufficient but Ramanat believes compassion shouldn’t stop with humans; we should extend the same empathy and respect to earth and animals. The Green Giraffe aims to minimize their environmental footprint by using up-cycled fabrics that would have otherwise gone to waste. They have also partnered with an animal welfare society called SLAWS, who promote the humane treatment of animals in Sierra Leone! Ramanat has big dreams for her company and wants to see her products in stores across North America. She’s a pro at adapting to life’s unexpected twists and turns, and COVID-19 won’t slow her down—Ramanat is just getting started!
When did you launch The Green Giraffe and what was the vision behind it?
I launched The Green Giraffe in 2010 and my original vision was to have a boutique retail and online shop offering unique, high-quality, eco-friendly kids products.
What is your connection to Freetown, Sierra Leone? Why did you start working with artisans in this location specifically?
My connection to Freetown goes back to 2011. My husband, then boyfriend, had been working in the region for some time and would regularly fly between Canada and West Africa. I would try to visit as often as I could. Fast forward to 2017, we are married with 3 young kids and we decided to relocate to Freetown as a family so that we could reduce our time apart. What initially caught my attention was the array of fabrics and range of work done by local tailors and weavers in Freetown which inspired me to find a way to integrate this with The Green Giraffe.
“I am a big advocate of fair trade and working with local artisans creating these products has been a natural evolution of The Green Giraffe since being a socially responsible company has always been a part of our framework.”
In what ways does The Green Giraffe empower artisans? That is, what impact will consumers make by choosing to shop your products?
I am a big advocate of fair trade and working with local artisans creating these products has been a natural evolution of The Green Giraffe since being a socially responsible company has always been a part of our framework.
Our products not only provide the artisans a steady stream of work at above market wages in good working conditions, but they are also broadening their skillset by applying methods and techniques which are new to them while working on garments they are less familiar with. Locally sourced materials and local artisans means that each product we sell provides a valuable contribution to the supply chain.
The Green Giraffe is dedicated to giving back! I would love to hear a little more about your partnerships with the Sierra Leone Animal Welfare Society (SLAWS). Why were you passionate about this organization specifically, and how do you support them?
I have always been an animal lover, it is something that has been engrained in me and passed down to me through my family. With Sierra Leone having one of the highest stray dog populations in Africa and my seeing first-hand the conditions they have to endure, I knew that I had to act.
SLAWS was started in 1988 by Dr. Gudush Jalloh, who is one of the only vets in Sierra Leone. With very limited resources SLAWS does incredibly important work through TVSR (trap, vaccinate, sterilize, release) events, veterinary services, and community outreach programs which cover rabies awareness and the humane treatment of animals.
The Green Giraffe has a ‘Jogs for Dogs’ program where a portion of proceeds from kids’ jogger sales goes to SLAWS. I work closely with SLAWS on a regular basis by helping plan and execute TVSR events, fundraising, facilitating sponsorships, and managing their online presence.
It’s awesome that your Instagram shows the faces and tells the stories of the artisans that make your products! How do you develop and maintain relationships with these individual artisans? Are you travelling frequently to Freetown Sierra Leone, or are you able to keep the contact through online communication with on the ground partners?
Social media has been a great platform to help illustrate their artistry and offer a glimpse into their way of life, I feel it is very important to showcase the incredible talent and community that is behind our products this helps bridge a connection between the artisan who made this product and the person purchasing it.
As a family we spend the majority of our time in Sierra Leone making our way back to Canada a few times throughout the year. My spending so much time on the ground allows me to build solid relationships with my incredible artisan-partners and we have figured out how to stay in touch and work effectively while I’m back in Canada.
You have a variety of beautiful handmade products including scrunchies, aprons, throw pillows, children’s clothing. How do decide which type of products to feature in your store? Is it ever a challenge to find the balance between supporting traditional African craftsmanship, and accommodating to western demand for particular products, or do you find these things align quite well?
My handmade products all began with joggers for kids and once I started making them, my inspirations have been endless! We are continuously trying out new products and designs and once we find something we think works, we hone in and try to perfect it.
I actually find that the merging of the two worlds is half the excitement behind the creative process and that each compliments the other quite well in my products. Taking items you’d commonly find in the west and adding an authentic African flare and craftmanship makes for unique products you don’t typically see on the shelves.
It’s great that some of your products are upcycled from discarded clothing & scrap fabrics! You also joined the Eco Packaging Alliance! Could you explain what this means, and why you felt it was important for your company to become part of this alliance?
Promoting eco-friendly practices and ethical business has always been core to The Green Giraffe. I love what the Eco Packaging Alliance is doing and given that we ship the majority of the products we sell, joining the alliance makes for a great fit.
The artisans I work with are so resourceful and creative. Items like sweaters donated from North America are unravelled and turned in to cloth that we use in some of our products. These threads end up having a long life and they truly do go full circle!
What is your dream for The Green Giraffe? How do you see yourself improving and/or expanding in the next 5 years?
I would love to have my products in shops all over North America and beyond. This would mean my continuing to build on my product line and production capacity through sustainable and responsible practices which uphold the core values on which I built my brand. More production will amplify the impact we can have on the environment and in developing communities.
What is a valuable piece of wisdom or lesson that has helped you get where you are today?
As funny as it sounds, I think I would point to the motto of the Marine Corps: “Adapt, Improvise and Overcome”! You never know what might be thrown at you and being able to react and make the most of every situation has been crucial for me.
Moving to West Africa was definitely not part of my original business plan and I wasn’t sure how or even if I would be able to continue with my business. As it turns out, being in this new environment kickstarted my designing and creating which is what I always wanted to do. Similarly, when the pandemic took the world by storm, I wasn’t sure how I would continue to operate but we setup a remote working arrangement and began making much-needed facemasks with unused materials.
Find her at:
https://www.thegreengiraffe.ca/