Reetta – Introduction

[Reetta]

Hi everyone! I’m Reetta, a sociologist currently based in Switzerland. I am a researcher at Impact17 and previously worked with the Red Cross on a development cooperation project in Kenya. I am excited to learn about partnerships particularly in the context of SDG’s, and gain practical know-how and tips on partnership-building. I am interested to learn how similar visions can be brought together to form a functioning partnership between actors from different backgrounds. What makes a partnership work and how you can establish one are a few of the questions on my mind. One partnership that has made an impression on me is a fair trade certified company Mifuko, that is partnering with local Kenyan craftworkers to produce recycled designer products. Through their trust fund they support different initiatives form tree planting to raising awareness about ecological sanitation and crating business opportunities out of it in rural parts of Kenya. I am impressed by the vision of this company, and its practical efforts in addressing development questions by bringing together a diverse group of actors, including 24 women’s savings groups in Kenya, three Finnish NGOs and a company.