Changing the world, one scarf at a time

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Aubrey White
  • 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. --  While deployed to Afghanistan in support of OPERATION ENDURING FREEDOM in 2011, one group of Team Seymour Airmen used their backgrounds in business and philanthropy to help those in need.

They started a non-profit organization called Flying Scarfs, which aims to help women in under-developed countries through economic opportunity. Now in their second year of selling scarves, the Flying Scarfs team soared southwest into Africa, in an attempt to empower artisans in Kenya.

"In July 2013, we traveled to western Kenya and started a sustainable social business in a rural village," said Capt. Brendan Groves, 4th Fighter Wing chief of general law and Flying Scarfs board member. "The business employs between five to 10 women who operate a sewing shop that makes various items we then sell in the United States. Some of those items include different sorts of clothing pieces, wallets and handbags."

During their visit, the Flying Scarfs team shadowed these women to better understand what they endure daily basis simply to make a living. According to Groves, they walked somewhere between three and five hours to a marketplace, while learning to balance bags of kale and pots on their heads, just as the women do every day.

It isn't a coincidence the board members of Flying Scarfs decided to expand operations into Kenya. Being Service members, they've seen the effect war has had on Afghan families and knew of the growing troubles in Kenya caused by civil conflict and disease. Groves said many of the families they met were barely staying afloat enough to buy $5 malaria pills for their children.

"We feel that female empowerment abroad is actually, not only a good thing in itself, but good for economic reasons as well," he said. "It's worthy in each family because so many men have died from civil conflict or disease, so the women are left standing to support their families, sometimes single-handedly. By empowering that woman, you've now empowered an entire family and you may now have empowered an entire village. A little can go a long way."

Groves believes there is a growing body of evidence which points to women being the key to economic advancement in much of the developing world because they possess skills which haven't been tapped into, but could lead to prosperity.

"The women in Kenya are enormously talented," he said. "They don't lack access to skills or desire. They have those in abundance, probably more than most people in the (United States). All they lack is capital, and maybe some ideas about business structure. That's where we come in. They have everything else they need to succeed; all we do is give them that missing piece."

After their visit, Groves said their organization gained an immense amount of media attention which led to roughly $10,000 worth of items sold to people throughout the world. He believes telling the story of these women's lives is what inspires people to give.

"(We tell stories) of women in Afghanistan who deal with conflict and bombs on their streets, and husbands who've been killed in war, to the slums of Nairobi where a different sort of conflict overwhelms families," he said. "With just a little outside assistance, you can really drive incredible change, not just economically but socially. Telling that story will do its part to get people involved."

As for the future of Flying Scarfs, Groves said they're concentrating their efforts in Afghanistan and Kenya to solidify operations there. The team is also looking to expand to United States venues, not only to sell scarves, but to develop a coalition of people who are passionate about female economic empowerment abroad. They plan to bring together several organizations, many of which are staffed by veterans, with similar goals, in hopes of continuing to inspire people, one scarf at a time.